On Being Cosmopolitan
Lifestyle and Identity of African Finance Professionals in Johannesburg
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2142609 |
|---|---|
| Authors | France Bourgouin (Danish Institute for International Studies, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2012 |
| Volume | 77 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 50-71 |
| Publication date | 2012-03-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Ethnos (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0014-1844 • E-ISSN: 1469-588X |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/00141844.2011.583990 |
| OpenAlex | W4234527640 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 5 |
| References cited | 10 |
This article considers the practices of cosmopolitan identity formation among a group of successful African business professionals, who were employed in middle and senior management positions in Johannesburg during the height of the 'bull market' in 2004. In contrast to the general view of cosmopolitanism as a discourse that promotes global universality and equality, this article claims that cosmopolitan being, as defined by African business professionals in Johannesburg, in fact contributed to the establishment of new social hierarchies. This article shows how these business professionals claiming to belong to a cosmopolitan community enacted these hierarchies through everyday distinctions in place, professional practices, leisure and dress, which itself created a homogenized understanding of cosmopolitan living. The article concludes that while cosmopolitanism is an escape from local African identity, appeals to a cosmopolitan community transform and reconfigure society through the inscription of new inequalities and particularities
Aesthetics · Art · Identity (music · Political science · Sociology · African history and culture studies · Gender Studies · South African History and Culture · Urban and Rural Development Challenges
| Unique citing works | 5 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,42 |
| Citation span | 2014 - 2026 (13) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 5 |