The politics of ethnic identity: Comparing South Africa

Abstract

Abstract South Africa represents a microcosm of major global conflicts. This laboratory of polyethnic group relations may well teach the rest of the world a lesson of multiracial coexistence and a bridging of extreme class distinctions through pragmatic development policies. Above all, a ‘negotiated revolution’ now promises peaceful nation‐building in a divided society, previously riddled with political violence. The remarkable democratic transformation has led to a substantial decline of politically‐motivated killings so far, although criminal violence has risen. The democratic transition rests partially on the skilful management of racial and ethnic perceptions. Non‐racialism as the core ideology of the new state elicits different expectations and meanings among various segments, differentially privileged and indoctrinated by more than four decades of apartheid. A general theoretical and comparative interpretation of ethnicity sheds light on the legitimacy of competing claims and assesses their prospect...