Cultural Sociology In South Africa Case Study

Jeffery Alexander was an American sociologist who founded the principle of cultural sociology. He stated that society is confined to structural forces, more so economic forces. These social structures are seen as external to individuals and that these forces have led to unique cultural responses from which the individual could protect themselves from the consequences of the economic structures. The study of the cultural lifestyles of the individuals in what Alexander calls the ‘sociology of culture’. Many African intellectuals such as Steve Biko, Tiyo Soga and S.E.K. Mghayi play a central role in the development of sociology in South African as well as providing important readings. As a broad topic, this essay will focus on the cultural society

Black Consciousness is an example of culture as a strong programme. Ubuntu is another crucial cultural structure that consists of the African culture and their way of life. When conducting research in history, personal feelings should be taken into account to try understanding the meanings, being African Societies and the shaping of resistance to colonization and the new South African society. Colonisation eradicated all African cultural structures (myths, beliefs, values) leading to the belief that colonization was a cultural process. African people never ceased to stop claiming their cultural beliefs and values and African intellectuals called for the recognition of the African culture structure shaping African societies as well as realizing that transculturation had taken place.

Cultural sociology provides a whole new perspective to our understanding of events and movement in our history. Instead of looking at an event from an economic perspective, we can change our views and shift out focus to personal individuals as well as cultural forces that stand independently and influence secondary factors such as economic

These “plural influences” defined Mqhayi experiences during his life while risking the reject from either side, by creating a neutral viewpoint from both aspects. His ideas are expressed through a kind of “conservative rebellion”, which accepts and honours the traditional Xhosa and African roots, however reshaping these traditions through ‘new possibilities’ to meet the needs of the present day in many ‘creative ways’, thus upgrading the tradition. Mqhayi stated that his view is “committed to the framework of the African knowledge system, while at the same time reworking and renewing the content of that system to make sense of the changing social world” (2009:44). Being exposed to both Colonization and Xhosa traditions, he gives us detailed information how both exposures influenced his understandings, that he places himself in a pure “Xhosa identity, history and intellectual traditions” while challenging and reworking these traditions. His ideas are focused around the deep Xhosa roots, making culture his independent factor from which experiences are shaped and moulded