South Africa: Culture of the People Lesson III Samuel T. Livingston, PhD Sinead N. Younge, PhD Project LEAD South Africa Study Abroad 5/29/2010

Overview What is Culture? South Africa’s People A Short Cultural History Modern Movements in Azanian Culture Why Culture Matters 5/29/2010

What is Culture? Definition: a group of people’s total way of life as it develops over time. It is a collective concept as groups form the primary unit of analysis. Explanation: Culture is an organic whole composed of three levels of meaning: deep structural meaning, intermediate structures of meaning, surface level structure of meaning. Examples Relation to South African Culture 5/29/2010

South Africa’s People There are about 48 million South Africans according to 2007 estimates Africans - 38 million (79.6%) Europeans - 4.5 million (9.2%) Coloureds - 4.2 million (8.9%) Asians - 1.2 million (2.5%) 5/29/2010

South African People South Africans began interacting interracially in the 17th century Azanians KhoiSan - pastoralists and hunter-gatherers were attacked by the Dutch, many were killed, enslaved or forced off of their lands other larger more established ethnic groups could not be as easily subdued: Ngoni (Zulu & Xhosa) Sotho Shangaan-Tsonga Venda Europeans Dutch British 5/29/2010

Religion & Culture Azanian religious culture - the traditional belief systems of African peoples who inhabited the land for the past 200 millennia European culture - the Christian religious culture of the Dutch and English people who settled after the late 17th century 5/29/2010

Ubuntu Philosophy A way of understanding life that views all existence as a form of Ntu — spirit, energy or force; “-ntu” is a part of many nouns in Bantu languages. Ubuntu is composed of the following areas of existence: Muntu – all intelligent beings, spirit-beings Hantu – time and space as a unified force Kuntu - modes of existence - moods, feelings, thoughts, ideas, theories, philosophies, ideologies Kintu - existence without voice - rocks, trees, animals, earth Ubuntu – exists when there is balanced, free and open flow of energy 5/29/2010

Ubuntu: Everything is connected Kuntu Muntu NTU Kintu Hantu 5/29/2010

Language Most of the people in South Africa speak a mix of Bantu, Dutch and English languages iziZulu iziKhosa Afrikaans English Sotho Shangaan-Tsonga Venda These languages are all officially recognized 5/29/2010

Struggles over Language Summer of 1976, young Black people protest in the streets of Jo’burg’s SouthWest Township (Soweto) over Immediate Causes Pass Laws & humiliations by the Police State Being forced to learn their lessons in Afrikaans Deep-rooted Causes Land exploitation, low-wages, poverty Over 28 uprisings from June to August 5/29/2010

Music as Resistance Azanian music has always been a source of inspiration and a way of expressing frustration Traditional Cultural songs Christian Spirituals Popular Music influenced by West Skokian Jazz Kwaito Hip Hop 5/29/2010

Traditional Cultural songs Find examples of traditional songs from Ngoni Zulu Xhosa KhoiSan Tsonga Venda European cultures Boer English 5/29/2010

Spirituals What Spirituals are common in the South African churches, mosques and temples? 5/29/2010

Popular Music Identify and describe various forms of South African popular music. Provide rich detail (names of songs, artists, etc.) 5/29/2010

Summarize main themes from this lesson Reiterate key ideas Summary Summarize main themes from this lesson Reiterate key ideas 5/29/2010

Relating to Azanian culture What aspects of Azanian culture are similar to your own? What is different? 5/29/2010

Goals for the Study Abroad While being as respectful as possible try to be a cultural scientist while you are in South Africa. What can you observe and learn about culture from being in South Africa as opposed to solely reading about it? 5/29/2010