Violence in Rural South Africa, 1880-1963 / Sean Redding.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Redding, Sean, author.

Series:

Africa and the diaspora.

Africa and the Diaspora

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Violence--South Africa--History.

Violence.

South Africa--Social conditions--19th century.

South Africa.

South Africa--Social conditions--20th century.

Genre:

History

Electronic books.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xiv, 196 pages) : illustrations.

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Madison, Wisconsin : The University of Wisconsin Press, [2023]

Summary:

"Violence was endemic to rural South African society from the late nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth century. But acts of violence were not natural; rather, violence resulted from the ways in which Africans navigated the hazardous social and political landscape imposed by white rule. Focusing on the eastern Cape Province, Sean Redding investigates the rise of large-scale lethal fights among men, increasingly coercive abduction marriages, violent acts resulting from domestic troubles and witchcraft accusations within families and communities, and political violence against state policies and officials. Many violent acts attempted to reestablish and reinforce a moral, social, and political order among Africans. However, what constituted a moral order changed as white governance became more intrusive, land became scarcer, and people reconstructed their notions of "traditional" culture. State policies became obstacles around which Africans had to navigate by invoking the idea of tradition, using the state's court system, or alleging the use of witchcraft, or by violent threats and acts. The use of multiple court cases and documents to discuss several types of violence provides a richer context for the scholarly conversation about the legitimation of violence in traditions, family life, and political protest"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Intro

Contents

List of Illustrations

Preface

Introduction: A History of Violence, a Question of Tradition

1. Neighbors and Rivals: Faction Fighting and Traditional Violence in the Rural Transkei

2. "The Girl Is Not Consulted": Abduction Marriages and Gendered Traditions of Violence

3. Deaths in the Family: Supernatural Harms and Violent Remedies

4. Sons and "Hooligans," "World-Destroyers" and Rebels: Traditional Violence Takes a Nationalist Turn

Conclusion: Rural Violence Reconsidered

Notes

Bibliography

Index.

Notes:

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (viewed on May 25, 2023)

Description based on print version record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780299341237

OCLC:

1350431732