essay
Exclusion, classification and internal colonialism: the emergence of ethnicity among Tsonga-speakers of South Africa
Creation of tribalism in Southern Africa • London • Published In 1989 • Pages: 82-117
By: Harries, Patrick.
AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
This document, which was originally published as a book chapter, deals with the formation of ethnicity amongst the Tsonga-speaking people of the northern and eastern Transvaal. It argues that the notion of a 'Tsonga' ethnic group as by anthropologists at the turn of the 20th century is of little objective value for it was more a product of their social and intellectual environment than an objective reality. The document show that the degree to which 'Tsonga' ethnic identity is adopted is dependent on the ways various class interests engendered by the historical regional division of labor or center-periphery form of internal capitalism that has developed in southern Africa. People choose, adopt and emphasize cultural symbols that they believe to be signs of a shared historical Tsonga identity in order to benefit their class or regional interests.
- SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
- Cultural identity and pride
- Ethos
- Inter-ethnic relations
- External relations
- Acculturation and culture contact
- Research and development
- Real property
- Acquisition and relinquishment of property
- Political movements
- Political parties
- Social relationships and groups
- Classes
- Inter-ethnic relations
- History
- Sociocultural trends
- cultureCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
- Tsonga
- HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document
- 2010
- RegionThe area the document pertains to
- Africa
- Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region
- Southern Africa
- Document TypeMay include journal articles, essays, collections of essays, monographs, or chapters/parts of monographs
- essay
- Evaluation
- Creator TypeThe type of person writing the document, e.g. Ethnographer, Missionary, Archaeologist, Folklorist, Linguist, Indigenous Person, and so on.
- Social Scientist
- Document Rating A ranking done by HRAF anthropologists based on the strength of the source material on a scale of 1 to 5, as follows: 1 - poor; 2 - fair; 3 - good, useful data, but not uniformly excellent; 4 - excellent secondary data; 5 - excellent primary data.
- 4: Excellent Secondary Data
- AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection
- Teferi Abate Adem; 2010
- Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
- no date
- Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
- 1850-1989
- Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
- Northern and Eastern Transvaal, South Africa
- NotesAdditional notes
- Patrick Harries
- Includes bibliographical references
- LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number
- 88004753
- LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
- Tsonga (African peoples)