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Pomona College

Publication Date

Spring 2020

Program Name

South Africa: Social and Political Transformation

Abstract

Within the social sciences, there is some debate about multiculturalism’s compatibility with governing institutions in liberal democracies. Multiculturalism is a sociological concept that states cultures, races, and ethnicities, particularly those belonging to a minority group, deserve special acknowledgment of their differences within a dominant political culture. While promising in theory, the implementation of multiculturalism can lead to superficial recognition of differences and uphold institutionalized racism. I plan to use Pretoria High School for Girls as a single case study to examine the lingering heritage of apartheid and to better understand the tensions between multiculturalism and anti-racism in historically white South African schools through grooming policies that disproportionately impact Black women. This study will be qualitative in design and involve non-probability sampling of tweets under the hashtag #StopRacismAtPretoriaGirlsHigh, press releases, video interviews, and news articles. Overall, the sample of texts reveals three prominent trends in the discourse of hair discrimination on media platforms with black consciousness accounting for 27.4%, solidarity accounting for 17.7%, and Eurocentric ideals accounting for 34.5% of the content.

Disciplines

Africana Studies | African Languages and Societies | African Studies | Gender and Sexuality | Politics and Social Change | Race and Ethnicity | Secondary Education | Sociology of Culture | Women's Studies

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