The Habitus of the Homestead (Chapter 2 - Democracy as Death) (original) (raw)

The chapter examines the contrasting social structures of urban townships and rural homesteads in South Africa, particularly in the context of the dissatisfaction expressed by migrant workers regarding liberal democracy and the ANC. Through interviews, the author highlights the perceived moral order and hierarchical social relations within the traditional homestead, which migrants idealize as a stable and morally significant space, in stark contrast to the disruptions attributed to democratic governance. This critique of the ANC's influence on customary practices offers insight into the complex dynamics of identity, ethnicity, and political resistance among South African migrants.