Die sosiale identiteit van 'n groep stedelike Afrikaanssprekendes in die postapartheid Suid-Afrika

Abstract

This study investigates the social identity of an urban group of Afrikaners in the post apartheid South Africa. The aim of the study is to determine whether Afrikaans speaking whites experience a threat to their ethnic identity following the socio-political change in the country, and which coping mechanisms they use to cope with a perceived threat. A stratified random sample of 250 white Afrikaans speaking respondents was selected from the municipal areas of Pretoria, Akasia and Centurion. They completed a questionnaire which measured several aspects relating to threat perception and coping strategies. Respondents show strong ethnic identification, and their ethnic identity forms an integral part of their identity structure. They identify with the group "Afrikaner" on a cultural, rather than a political level. They have a positive collective self concept, but perceive the evaluation of their ethnic group by other groups in South Africa to be predominantly negative. The majority of respondents perceive the post Apartheid political regime as illegitimate and unstable. They also experience a deterioration in the status and power of their ethnic group in the post Apartheid dispensation. The majority hold negative attitudes towards the political changes in the country. They perceive a threat to their identity on two levels, namely a threat to well-being as an Afrikaner, and a threat to the distinctive continuity of their group identity. The experience of a threat to well-being is predicted by perceptions of illegitimacy of the post apartheid regime and negative evaluations by out-groups. A threat to the distinctive continuity of group identity is predicted by negative evaluations of the in-group and weak ethnic identification. While respondents experience a considerable threat to their well-being, they do not feel that the distinctive continuity of their group identity is particularly threatened. Coping strategies which are assessed consist of "active" strategies in the form of confrontation of the status quo or the positive

promotion of the group, and more "passive" strategies, such as acceptance of the threat, avoidance and emigration. Active coping strategies are preferred by individuals who are politically conservative, show strong ethnic identification, have a positive collective self concept, display a negative attitude towards the sociopolitical changes in the country, experience the current regime as illegitimate and do not experience a threat to the distinctive continuity of their identity. Individuals who do not have strong ethnic ties, are politically more liberal, have a positive attitude towards the political changes and experience the political regime as relatively stable and legitimate, tend to prefer more passive coping strategies. On the whole, respondents tend to make more use of active than passive coping strategies. The most important predictors of coping strategies are the level of threat perception, the strength of ethnic identification, collective self concept, the degree of political conservatism and the attitude towards socio-political changes.