Leaving the Gangster Things to the Boys Growing Up Now: Young Men, Physical Violence, and Structural Violence in Post-Transition South Africa
- Posted on
- In Publications, Research
- by Jasmina Brankovic
This paper examines the intersection of physical violence, structural violence, and masculinity through the life history narrative of a 20-year-old man exiting an informal gang in Gugulethu, a township in Cape Town. Beginning and remaining with James Madoda's narrative, the paper shows how the gendered physical violence between young men in townships emerges from historical and present-day structural violence – here defined as institutionalised power inequalities that limit life opportunities – and argues that structural violence needs to be discussed and addressed as a policy issue in South Africa. It also suggests that structural violence may provide a platform for collaboration among civil society actors working on socioeconomic transformation and the prevention of violence.
J Brankovic_Young Men and Physical and Structural Violence in Post-Transition South Africa_VTP
Jasmina Brankovic is a transitional justice and peacebuilding expert. She is the Senior Research Specialist at the Institute for Integrated Transitions. She was previously the Senior Research Adviser at the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation. With a focus on participatory methods, Dr. Brankovic conducts research on inequality and socioeconomic transformation, climate justice, narrative change, and civil society strategies in transitional contexts. Her publications include 'Violence, Inequality and Transformation: Apartheid Survivors on South Africa's Ongoing Transition' (2020), 'The Global Climate Regime and Transitional Justice' (2018) and 'Advocating Transitional Justice in Africa: The Role of Civil Society' (2018). She has a PhD in Political Science from the University of Marburg.
