- Title
- ‘Licking the snake’: the i'khothane and contemporary township youth identities in South Africa
- Creator
- Howell, Simon, Vincent, Louise
- Date
- 2014
- Type
- text
- Type
- article
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10962/141645
- Identifier
- vital:37993
- Identifier
- DOI: 10.1080/21528586.2014.917883
- Description
- The i’khothane youth subculture is a relatively new phenomenon that has emerged in some of South Africa’s townships. Characterised by the rampant consumption of certain goods, such as expensive clothing, the subculture is unique in that it is also defined by the destruction of these goods in performances known as ‘battles’. Demonised by the media, we set out to explore what makes these practices meaningful to the participants themselves. On the basis of in-depth interviews conducted with the members of one group, we bring to the academic literature a scarcely analysed phenomenon that is nevertheless an acknowledged element of popular youth culture in contemporary South Africa. We attempt to place the practice of i’khothane within the context of the patterns of conspicuous consumption that have emerged in (a highly unequal) post-apartheid South Africa. While the practice of burning expensive consumer goods in public may seem alien, especially in contrast to the impoverished surroundings within which the i’khothane live, there are discernable and understandable reasons why the subculture has gained both popularity and notoriety. We show how the practice of i’khothane is a potent means of articulating youth identity in settings seemingly left behind by the ‘new’ South Africa.
- Format
- 18 pages, pdf
- Language
- English
- Relation
- South African Review of Sociology, Howell, S. and Vincent, L., 2014. ‘Licking the snake’–the i'khothane and contemporary township youth identities in South Africa. South African Review of Sociology, 45(2), pp.60-77., South African Review of Sociology volume 45 number 2 60 77 June 2014 2072-1978
- Rights
- Publisher
- Rights
- Use of this resource is governed by the terms and conditions of the Taylor and Francis Online Terms and Conditions statement (https://www.tandfonline.com/terms-and-conditions)
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Howell, Simon (Mr)
Vincent, Louise (Prof)
RU Department of Political and International Studies
SDG 10. Reduced Inequalities
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