Everyday Politics and Collective Mobilization Against Foreigners in a South African Shack Settlement

Datos Bibliográficos

ID2103015
AutoresTamlyn Monson (0000-0002-8521-597X, autor de correspondencia)
Año2015
Volumen85
Número1
Páginas131-153
Fecha de publicación2015-02-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaAfrica (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0001-9720 • E-ISSN: 1750-0184
EditorialCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s0001972014000783
OpenAlexW2167632657
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas10
Referencias citadas41

In contrast to the tolerant and largely peaceful 'living politics' of informal settlements, as embodied by the social movement Abahlali baseMjondolo, this article considers a darker side of squatter politics: 'xenophobic' mobilization. I show how the historical stratification of citizenship in South Africa remains spatially embedded in longstanding informal settlements, where distinctive repertoires of collective action have been shaped by a (still unfinished) history of struggle for inclusion. Using archival research and interviews conducted in the informal settlements of Atteridgeville, Gauteng, I show how the continuing struggle for equal citizenship draws on shared experiences of mundane hardship and collective labour, giving rise to social distance between established local squatters and politically indifferent foreign newcomers. At times of protest, this polarity is concentrated by and converges with familiar practices of insurgent citizenship, creating a context for mobilization against foreigners. In this sense, 'xenophobic' mobilization may be seen to articulate a claim for inclusion by structurally excluded 'citizens', rather than an exclusionary claim by those who already belong. The article provides a useful counterpoint to readings of 'xenophobic' violence that focus on the role of elite discourses, instrumental leaders or crude racial identities in shaping such mobilization

Citizenship · Collective action · Contentious politics · Context (archaeology · Elite · Inclusion (mineral · Mobilization · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Settlement (finance · Social movement · Sociology · African Sexualities and LGBTQ+ Issues · Gender Studies · History · Law · Legal Issues in South Africa · South African History and Culture