The uneasy boundary work of ‘coconuts’ and ‘black diamonds’: middle-class labelling in post-apartheid South Africa

Abstract

Managing middle-class status involves a great amount of ‘boundary work’, part of which takes place in discussions and narratives over labels. In this paper, I show how an analysis of the narratives around labels such as ‘coconut’ and ‘black diamond’ are vital to understanding the complexities of middle-class boundary work in post-apartheid South Africa. I juxtapose fragments from a public discussion on the term ‘coconut’ in 2015 with young, urban professionals’ reactions to the concept of ‘black diamonds’ in the first decade of the 21st century. This reveals a shift is taking place that is making intra-group differences more visible, while calling into question the racial loyalties of those apparently upwardly mobile. In all, analysing labelling politics helps understand the historical and geographical situatedness of middle-class boundary work.