Thesis (M.A.)--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Arts, 1990 / In r.he context of family instability, inadequate schooling,
massive youth unemployment and severe residential
overcrowding, juvenile delinquency became rampant in
Witwatersrand townships during the 1930s. By the mid 1940s
the I'tsotsis", a criminal, male-dominated youth gang
subculture with its own distinctively urban style, ritual
and language, had entrenched itself amongst urbanised township communities
Tsotsis angrily rejected both
hegemonic whlte middle class values and the apparently
acquiescent culture of their parents. Tsotsi style, which
drew heavily on American cinema imagery, expressed a denial
of cultural consensus in urban society. Tsotsi gangs preyed
materially off township residents and distanced themselves
from political activity or community affairs. However,
around 1959-60 tsotsis were attracted to the radical,
machismo, aggressively anti-establishment politics of the
Pan-Africanist Congress. The subculture dissolved during
the 1960s as a result of police crackdowns, expanded state
schooling and improved employment opportunities for urban
youth. / WS2017
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:wits/oai:wiredspace.wits.ac.za:10539/21633 |
| Date | January 1990 |
| Creators | Glaser, Clive |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | Online resource (250 leaves), application/pdf |
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