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How do younger generations of white Afrikaans-speaking South Africans become antiracist

Bibliographic Data

ID3024972
AuthorsJudy-Marié Van Noordwyk (Nelson Mandela University, corresponding author)
Year2025
Volume31
Issue6
Pages1-18
Publication date2025-06-08
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSocial Identities (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1350-4630 • E-ISSN: 1363-0296
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/13504630.2025.2513288
OpenAlexW4411128540
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited38

Many young white Afrikaans speakers in South Africa are raised in predominantly white enclaves shaped by deep socio-economic inequality and inherited apartheid-era wealth. While many continue to avoid engaging with the harms of racism, some actively reflect on their white privilege and adopt antiracism as a form of accountability. This study explores why, drawing on in-depth online interviews with 15 white Afrikaans speakers (aged 21–47) who self-identify as antiracist. Grounded in Critical Race Theory (CRT), Critical Whiteness Studies (CWS), and post-structural theory, this study examines how participants negotiate Afrikaner identity in a post-apartheid context as they adopt an antiracist stance. These theoretical frameworks enable a nuanced reading of race, power, identity, and resistance in the lived experiences of younger white Afrikaans speakers. Transcripts were translated, coded, and thematically analysed, revealing key influences such as early socialisation by open-minded parents, experiences of ‘othering’, identity shame linked to Afrikaner stigma, exposure to whiteness's internal hierarchies, politicised environments, critical theory in higher education, and meaningful interactions with racialised others. These influences prompted identity work, leading to a critical understanding of whiteness, race, and personal reflection on their own positioning as white people in South Africa

Sociology · Anthropology · Critical Race Theory in Education · Gender Roles and Identity Studies · Gender Studies · Youth Education and Societal Dynamics · Genetics

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    Open Access•Judy-Marié Van Noordwyk•Social Identities•2025

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  • How do younger generations of white Afrikaans-speaking South Africans become antiracist

    Open Access•Judy-Marié Van Noordwyk•Social Identities•2025

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Unique citing works1
Citations per year1
Citation span2025 - 2025 (1)
Citation velocityrecent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 1
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