South African Relapse

The picture I chose to analyze through various lenses was taken during a very important time that shall be embedded in world history until the end of time. This picture is a reflection and provides insight as to what black South-Africans endured from 1948 to 1991(Staff, 2010). This photo can be examined and debriefed through three different social sciences, anthropology, sociology and psychology. Using anthropology, the time era will be examined, what exactly was happening in south Africa. Along with this, gender roles, ethnic issues, social status, culture of violence and its historical impact will all be discussed. Through the eyes of a sociologist the question of how does the picture attack the development and structure of society. Lately, …show more content…
The psychological scar that is left on south Africa is humongous and the toll it took on its inhabitants is even greater. From a genetic level, there has been stunted brain development in the new generation of adolescents, some say this is from malnourishment under the apartheid regime (Dommisse, 2014). The image of the sign that was associated with the apartheid may trigger PTSD in individuals who in some way is connected to the apartheid. One who is suffering from PTSD may have a relapse from viewing this image, thoughts and memories from south Africa may cause one to have flashbacks or even panic attacks. To those who remain in south Africa since the apartheid, some still chose to conform to western styles and ideologies. Studies show that 80% of black women in south Africa choose to straighten their hair or wear extensions to fit in with the western society (Harper, 2012). Also for those amongst the millions of black south Africans who were forced to relocate to concentrated areas, depression, substance and suicide can also become a factor. Being forcibly removed from your own home, being told it is illegal to marry the love of your life solely because of their skin tone. From the apartheid as a whole, south Africa is damaged and many of its population suffer from many mental illnesses such …show more content…
Through one image alone an era of racism and segregation was uncovered, the structure and development of todays society was tests and underlying mental traumas were uncovered. A simple sign designating whether or not a black male can go to the beach, is the door to South Africa’s rich history and allows us to reflect upon our society today and realize if we really are that much different. In the 1950’s in Cape Town there were benches that were labelled either for whites or for blacks. Is this same segregation found in our societies today, are some city corners, public parks and school hallways home to racial segregation? Biases that are placed upon someone solely because of the color of their skin, norms that are expected upon someone based upon the color, gender or ethnicity that they may or may not posses. Taking a look at the South African apartheid and looking at society today, its not hard to find some similarities. The difference may be that there aren’t any laws that have this in place, it occurs naturally. A very rich history is uncovered through the image, a window to the dark unforgotten past from the depths of Soweto. Racial discrimination is embedded and intertwined with the history of the world, school curriculum teaches the horrors of an apartheid regime. This simple picture of sign demonstrates this but, is racial segregation on the come up, will