Browsing by Subject "segregation"

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    Understanding informal segregation : racial and spatial identities among the Indian minority of Mokopane
    (2010) Shaker, Sahba; Foster, Don
    South Africa is a melting pot and a meeting place for a multitude of "races", representing an optimal arena for understanding the psychology of contact and desegregation. This study focuses on the spatial arrangement of minority identities, through continued informal segregation, among the Indian minority of Mokopane. Drawing on 28 open-ended interviews, segregation is explored in everyday interactions and spaces. Working within a spatial-discursive framework, critical discourse analysis is employed, paired with a basic observational and descriptive analysis. Participants' discursive constructions overwhelmingly demonstrate patterns of informal segregation among the Indian minority community, within the micro-ecology of contact. Caught within a sandwiched or "buffer" identity, issues of space constantly inform negotiating conceptions of "Indianness". In mapping the dialogue of the Indian community, a story of the evolution of segregation emerges, creating a replication of internal divisions. This study ultimately demonstrates the need for a spatial-discursive orientation and a more "embodied" turn in our understanding of segregation.
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    Understanding the seating patterns in a residence-dining hall: a longitudinal study of intergroup contact
    (2010) Schrieff, Leigh Elmarie; Tredoux, Colin
    Using a combination of observational and questionnaire methods, this longitudinal study investigated interracial contact in a university residence dining hall, focusing on the organization of seating patterns. The results showed that informal division by race was extensive, with indices of interaction (xPy*) and evenness (D) indicating the existence of high levels of racial segregation. Moreover, although they had ample opportunities for regular contact, students' preferences for sitting with same-race peers remained relatively constant across the study period. Their explanations for seating choices emphasised the role of wider friendship patterns as well as the importance of eating with people with whom they felt ‘comfortable’.