- Title
- Exploring visual representations of black tax as ubuntu and social cohesion in South African townships
- Creator
- Msipa, Wandile
- Subject
- Classism
- Subject
- Art, Modern -- 21st century -- Themes, motives
- Subject
- Visual perception
- Date Issued
- 2025-04
- Date
- 2025-04
- Type
- Master's theses
- Type
- text
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10948/72419
- Identifier
- vital:79222
- Description
- The point of departure for this paper uses a personal narrative, told to highlight the complexities and realities of living in a South African Township. The narrative is also used to highlight the existence of both family and communal support. The paper recognizes that the accepted definition for this support as being termed Black Tax, by popular media and various academics. Black Tax is described as “both financial and economic support” from employed members of families, either given to “nuclear or extended family members” (Mhlongo, 2019: 191). I use both personal narrative and other academic sources to redefine the term Black Tax as formally described, to the tax that Black individuals have had to pay for existing since the colonial period, Apartheid, until the very writing of this dissertation. I use various artist’s works to understand the depictions and meaning behind the everyday interactions of Black South Africans, which influenced the making of my own work. This work focuses on the value we, as black individuals, bring to each other’s lives through these daily interactions. This study evolves out of the rupture I experienced, and continue to experience, having moved from township living to urban environments. The behavioural and cultural and social norms which I had thought were about building community were brought into question. The study explores a self-narrative whereby there is an intrinsic need to have a relatable sense of cohesion and connection to the people I have grown up with, and the ideological space of higher learning and social upward mobility.
- Description
- Thesis (MVA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Visual and Performing Arts, 2025
- Format
- computer
- Format
- online resource
- Format
- application/pdf
- Format
- 1 online resource (123 pages)
- Format
- Publisher
- Nelson Mandela University
- Publisher
- Faculty of Humanities
- Language
- English
- Rights
- Nelson Mandela University
- Rights
- All Rights Reserved
- Rights
- Open Access
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NMU School of Music, Art and Design
| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | SOURCE1 | Msipa W.pdf | 7 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |