Sociology
Sociology I Final Examination Dr. Wincelowicz Winter 2008/2009 Bruce Toole February 22, 2009 Question # 5 _“Explain apartheid, use concepts from functionalism, conflict theory and interactionalism in your response and provide a perspective on how it shaped South Africa in the last 50 years.”_ Apartheid is defined as; “a former political system in South Africa from 1948 to the early 1990s that separated the different peoples living there and gave privileges to those of European origin”. Legally imposed racism created obstacles that were heavily rooted in South Africa. In particular, Apartheid consisted of many laws that permitted the ruling white minority in South Africa to segregate, exploit, and abuse blacks and other racial groups. Under Apartheid, racist attitudes were ingrained in law, and any disparagement of the law was suppressed. These exclusionary laws have numerous societal, political and economic ramifications that have outlasted the laws themselves. Furthermore, ethnically discriminatory social norms continue to affect citizens based on race, class and gender. In the textbook, Schaefer clearly outlines the sociological perspectives on race and ethnicity. He summarized the following: Functionalist- The dominant majority benefits from the subordination of the racial minorities. Conflict- Vested interests perpetuate racial inequality through economic exploitation. Interactionalist- Cooperative interracial contacts can reduce hostility. This change of governmental rule has not yet resulted in considerable lifestyle changes for most blacks in the country. The white population still principally controls the economy. Affirmative action programs have not yet positively impacted the common black person. According to current data, unemployment among the black population is 45%, nationwide. The national crime rate is up, with blacks being the most frequent victims. These figures seem as if South Africa has not made any noteworthy changes under this...
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