Theatre for social change: resolving xenophobic conflicts through theatre intervention in South Africa
The ongoing discussions about the wave of xenophobic attacks against African immigrants by South African citizens are extremely sensitive and have deepened the rift between South Africans and immigrants from other African nations. The South African government has taken clear steps, mainly through me...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2025-12-01
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| Series: | Cogent Social Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311886.2025.2464870 |
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| author | Chijioke Uwah Gcebile Dlamini Priviledge Cheteni |
| author_facet | Chijioke Uwah Gcebile Dlamini Priviledge Cheteni |
| author_sort | Chijioke Uwah |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The ongoing discussions about the wave of xenophobic attacks against African immigrants by South African citizens are extremely sensitive and have deepened the rift between South Africans and immigrants from other African nations. The South African government has taken clear steps, mainly through media channels, to distance itself from the alarming actions of vigilante groups that have recently targeted and killed many African immigrants under the pretext of removing criminal elements from their neighbourhoods. These actions could be viewed as a form of ‘ethnic cleansing’. This study seeks to highlight the role of theatre in addressing xenophobia in South Africa. Based on the study’s findings, it argues that grassroots involvement in theatre offers more effective solutions to combat xenophobic violence while also promoting social cohesion among Africans living in South Africa. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b19a1ee4aa1a4efab8e8e7a00a4d5735 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2331-1886 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cogent Social Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-b19a1ee4aa1a4efab8e8e7a00a4d57352025-08-20T03:05:29ZengTaylor & Francis GroupCogent Social Sciences2331-18862025-12-0111110.1080/23311886.2025.2464870Theatre for social change: resolving xenophobic conflicts through theatre intervention in South AfricaChijioke Uwah0Gcebile Dlamini1Priviledge Cheteni2Department of English and Comparative Literature, University of Fort Hare, East London, South AfricaWits Theatre for Life, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South AfricaDepartment of Sociology, University of Fort Hare, East London, South AfricaThe ongoing discussions about the wave of xenophobic attacks against African immigrants by South African citizens are extremely sensitive and have deepened the rift between South Africans and immigrants from other African nations. The South African government has taken clear steps, mainly through media channels, to distance itself from the alarming actions of vigilante groups that have recently targeted and killed many African immigrants under the pretext of removing criminal elements from their neighbourhoods. These actions could be viewed as a form of ‘ethnic cleansing’. This study seeks to highlight the role of theatre in addressing xenophobia in South Africa. Based on the study’s findings, it argues that grassroots involvement in theatre offers more effective solutions to combat xenophobic violence while also promoting social cohesion among Africans living in South Africa.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311886.2025.2464870Xenophobic violenceAfrican immigrantsSouth Africaapplied theatresocial cohesionLiterature |
| spellingShingle | Chijioke Uwah Gcebile Dlamini Priviledge Cheteni Theatre for social change: resolving xenophobic conflicts through theatre intervention in South Africa Cogent Social Sciences Xenophobic violence African immigrants South Africa applied theatre social cohesion Literature |
| title | Theatre for social change: resolving xenophobic conflicts through theatre intervention in South Africa |
| title_full | Theatre for social change: resolving xenophobic conflicts through theatre intervention in South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Theatre for social change: resolving xenophobic conflicts through theatre intervention in South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Theatre for social change: resolving xenophobic conflicts through theatre intervention in South Africa |
| title_short | Theatre for social change: resolving xenophobic conflicts through theatre intervention in South Africa |
| title_sort | theatre for social change resolving xenophobic conflicts through theatre intervention in south africa |
| topic | Xenophobic violence African immigrants South Africa applied theatre social cohesion Literature |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311886.2025.2464870 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT chijiokeuwah theatreforsocialchangeresolvingxenophobicconflictsthroughtheatreinterventioninsouthafrica AT gcebiledlamini theatreforsocialchangeresolvingxenophobicconflictsthroughtheatreinterventioninsouthafrica AT priviledgecheteni theatreforsocialchangeresolvingxenophobicconflictsthroughtheatreinterventioninsouthafrica |