‘They have deliberately left us to kill each other’: dehumanisation and gang violence in African* townships
AbstractThis article discusses the dehumanisation experienced by marginalised South African ekasi (African township) youths. More particularly, it explores how dehumanisation in the two African townships of Bophelong and Nyanga in South Africa has increased young people’s vulnerability to youth gang...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Cogent Social Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311886.2024.2329794 |
| _version_ | 1797258444220137472 |
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| author | G. Nokukhanya Ndhlovu |
| author_facet | G. Nokukhanya Ndhlovu |
| author_sort | G. Nokukhanya Ndhlovu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | AbstractThis article discusses the dehumanisation experienced by marginalised South African ekasi (African township) youths. More particularly, it explores how dehumanisation in the two African townships of Bophelong and Nyanga in South Africa has increased young people’s vulnerability to youth gangs. The research question is: how does dehumanisation contribute to gang violence in African townships? The paper adopts a qualitative approach and purposive sampling. The findings show that there is a strong link between dehumanisation and youth vulnerability to gangs. Many young people are excluded from access to fundamental human rights, which exposes them to multidimensional development challenges and pushes them towards a life of gangs and crime. Government, civil society, and the private sector must work together to intentionally address the root causes of youth gang violence in African townships. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T22:53:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-60d452fe4fee44f3982a6bf66cdcfc33 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2331-1886 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T22:53:38Z |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cogent Social Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-60d452fe4fee44f3982a6bf66cdcfc332024-03-18T09:58:06ZengTaylor & Francis GroupCogent Social Sciences2331-18862024-12-0110110.1080/23311886.2024.2329794‘They have deliberately left us to kill each other’: dehumanisation and gang violence in African* townshipsG. Nokukhanya Ndhlovu0Department of Social Work/Social Development, University of Fort Hare, East London, South AfricaAbstractThis article discusses the dehumanisation experienced by marginalised South African ekasi (African township) youths. More particularly, it explores how dehumanisation in the two African townships of Bophelong and Nyanga in South Africa has increased young people’s vulnerability to youth gangs. The research question is: how does dehumanisation contribute to gang violence in African townships? The paper adopts a qualitative approach and purposive sampling. The findings show that there is a strong link between dehumanisation and youth vulnerability to gangs. Many young people are excluded from access to fundamental human rights, which exposes them to multidimensional development challenges and pushes them towards a life of gangs and crime. Government, civil society, and the private sector must work together to intentionally address the root causes of youth gang violence in African townships.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311886.2024.2329794African gangsBophelongdehumanisationekasiNyangastructural violence |
| spellingShingle | G. Nokukhanya Ndhlovu ‘They have deliberately left us to kill each other’: dehumanisation and gang violence in African* townships Cogent Social Sciences African gangs Bophelong dehumanisation ekasi Nyanga structural violence |
| title | ‘They have deliberately left us to kill each other’: dehumanisation and gang violence in African* townships |
| title_full | ‘They have deliberately left us to kill each other’: dehumanisation and gang violence in African* townships |
| title_fullStr | ‘They have deliberately left us to kill each other’: dehumanisation and gang violence in African* townships |
| title_full_unstemmed | ‘They have deliberately left us to kill each other’: dehumanisation and gang violence in African* townships |
| title_short | ‘They have deliberately left us to kill each other’: dehumanisation and gang violence in African* townships |
| title_sort | they have deliberately left us to kill each other dehumanisation and gang violence in african townships |
| topic | African gangs Bophelong dehumanisation ekasi Nyanga structural violence |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311886.2024.2329794 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT gnokukhanyandhlovu theyhavedeliberatelyleftustokilleachotherdehumanisationandgangviolenceinafricantownships |