Xenophobia in South Africa: How societal crises fuel scapegoating of immigrants
By
Ana Beatriz Prudente Alckmin
20d ago· 3 min readptOpinion
Summary
The article discusses the rise of xenophobia in South Africa, arguing that it stems from societal crises such as unemployment, inflation, rising crime, and loss of institutional trust. When societies face complex problems, people seek simple explanations, often targeting immigrant groups as scapegoats. The author draws a historical parallel to 1930s Germany, where Jews and other minorities were blamed for the crisis. Limited resources, impunity, and the popularity of anti-immigration rhetoric make it difficult to respond to attacks against foreigners.
Source
bskyXenophobia in South Africa: How societal crises fuel scapegoating of immigrantsmla.bsKey quotes
· 4 pulledQuando uma sociedade enfrenta desemprego, inflação, aumento da criminalidade e perda de confiança nas instituições, as pessoas buscam explicações simples para problemas complexos.
Nesse cenário, grupos de imigrantes frequentemente se tornam alvos de racismo.
A xenofobia costuma crescer não porque estrangeiros estejam ligados à origem da crise, mas porque sociedades em crise tendem a procurar grupos racializados para responsabilizar.
Em 1930 na Alemanha, judeus e outras minorias foram transformados em bodes expiatórios em meio à grave crise.
Recursos limitados, impunidade e popularidade de discursos anti-imigração dificultam respostas a ataques contra estrangeiros
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