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The history of the “Self” and the “Otherness” experiences of xenophobia in South Africa is complex and multifaceted, and deeply embedded in colonialism and Apartheid and the post-Apartheid era in South Africa. Notwithstanding the several attempts from various stakeholders, including civil society and multilateral and bilateral organizations, to put xenophobia to a halt in South Africa during the abovementioned period, it has unabatedly escalated. Regardless of several studies published so far on the impact of xenophobic experiences on human relationships, there is still a deficiency of academic scrutiny on the implications of the ‘self’ and ‘other’ in these relationships. The contentious relationship between ‘other’ and ‘self’ perspectives has received little attention in various academic discourses. In the context of this paper, the quality and condition of the ‘other’ is a state of being different from and alien to the social identities of the ‘self’ like the foreign nationals in South Africa. By contrast, the ‘self’ refers to those individuals whose social identities distinguish them from the ‘other’ based on their natural belonging, like the South African nationals in the context of this paper. This phenomenological paper seeks to examine the conflicting narratives of the victims and the perpetrators of the xenophobic experiences in South Africa from post-1994 to the present. The paper uses social media data and grey literature on xenophobic verbal and physical experiences within different communities in South Africa. The conflict between ‘other’ and ‘self’ perspectives creates disharmony between foreign and indigenous nationals in South Africa. Essentially, the conflict has affected vulnerable ‘other’ groups (such as those who are children, disabled, poor or chronically ill more than the affluent. The paper argues that there is a critical need to enhance the multi-stakeholders, including religious leaders, social workers, and law enforcement agencies, in harmonizing the contentious human relationships between ‘self’ and ‘others’ in South Africa.

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The ‘Self’ and ‘Other’ in Human Relationships in the Era of Xenophobia in South Africa: Social Justice and Religious Perspectives

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年

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  • John Ringson

摘要

The history of the “Self” and the “Otherness” experiences of xenophobia in South Africa is complex and multifaceted, and deeply embedded in colonialism and Apartheid and the post-Apartheid era in South Africa. Notwithstanding the several attempts from various stakeholders, including civil society and multilateral and bilateral organizations, to put xenophobia to a halt in South Africa during the abovementioned period, it has unabatedly escalated. Regardless of several studies published so far on the impact of xenophobic experiences on human relationships, there is still a deficiency of academic scrutiny on the implications of the ‘self’ and ‘other’ in these relationships. The contentious relationship between ‘other’ and ‘self’ perspectives has received little attention in various academic discourses. In the context of this paper, the quality and condition of the ‘other’ is a state of being different from and alien to the social identities of the ‘self’ like the foreign nationals in South Africa. By contrast, the ‘self’ refers to those individuals whose social identities distinguish them from the ‘other’ based on their natural belonging, like the South African nationals in the context of this paper. This phenomenological paper seeks to examine the conflicting narratives of the victims and the perpetrators of the xenophobic experiences in South Africa from post-1994 to the present. The paper uses social media data and grey literature on xenophobic verbal and physical experiences within different communities in South Africa. The conflict between ‘other’ and ‘self’ perspectives creates disharmony between foreign and indigenous nationals in South Africa. Essentially, the conflict has affected vulnerable ‘other’ groups (such as those who are children, disabled, poor or chronically ill more than the affluent. The paper argues that there is a critical need to enhance the multi-stakeholders, including religious leaders, social workers, and law enforcement agencies, in harmonizing the contentious human relationships between ‘self’ and ‘others’ in South Africa.