Youth identity in desegregated schools of Johannesburg

Abstract

Since the end of apartheid, South African schools went through deep changes with the deracialisation of the school system and a fairer allocation of educational resources (funding, equipment, facilities). School vision and mission had to promote values of the rainbow nation in order to enrol learners from different communities. Despite the recognition of diversity, race and ethnic relations still structure social relations inside school. This research shows how South African teenagers from desegregated school of Johannesburg construct their identity in relation to the diverse communities where they evolve. We expose their representation of a world affected by the apartheid legacy of racialised borders and socio-economical divisions but open to identity ‘bricolages’ and aspirations which allow overtaking them. Religion, popular and global culture, and democratic values are sources of identification to analyse to understand youth identity in contemporary South Africa.