Becoming the other through intercultural identity: a practice -led-based autoethnographic journey of being a Rastafarian

Abstract

This study is an autoethnographic representation of the researcher’s journey as a Rastafarian and is expressed through visual metaphors. It interrogates the predisposition and vulnerabilities caused by being othered through stereotypification within intercultural identity existence. Otherness in this study is explored as a complex and multivalent term defined by differences through outside markers and internal characteristics within cultural identities. It outlines the psychoanalytic and philosophical origins of othering and stereotyping among different cultures, their present-day practice and selected criticisms. It further argues that ethnic minority cultures like South African Rastafari are bound by intercultural othering through the formation of stereotypes, discriminating against cultural groups’ representation of the self and the other and religious othering. Lastly, it maintains that othering defines the power arrangements in cultural hierarchies and the representational significances, such as identity construction. It aims to reveal that Rastafarians take pride in their Africanity, acknowledging Ethiopia from where it originated and that this is one country in Africa that was never colonised. This research is both practice-led and based, and it culminated in a solo exhibition and is framed within the concepts of othering and stereotyping and the post-colonial theory of Liminality. Phenomenology and autoethnography are used within a qualitative paradigm to unearth and explain emergent knowledge, which is also presented in the practical works forming an integral part of this research

Olu phandolwazi lubonisa indlela yophandontyilazwi apho umphandilwazi asebenzisa amava akhe obuqu ukuqonda imicimbi yezentlalo kuhambo lwakhe nanjengeRasta kwaye lubonakaliswa ngezafobe ezibonakalayo. Luhlalutya ukuba sesichengeni nokuba semngciphekweni okubangelwa kukuchazwa ngenye indlela okanye ukwahluka kusetyenziswa iingcinga ezigwenxa ngokuba nobuni beenkcubeko ezahlukileyo. Ukwahluka kolu phandolwazi kuphononongwa nanjengegama elintsonkothileyo nelibanzi elichazwa kukwahluka ngokweempawu zangaphandle nezangaphakathi ngaphakathi kwiimpawu zobuni ngokwenkcubeko. Luchaza imvelaphi yokufihlakeleyo engqondweni nefuthe lako ekuziphatheni nakwiinkolelo zokuchazwa ngenye indlela nangokweengcinga ezigwenxa phakathi kweenkcubeko ezahlukileyo, inkqubo yazo yanamhlanje kunye nezigxeko ezikhethekileyo. Lukwaxoxa kwakhona ukuba iinkcubeko eziligcuntswana okanye ezincinci zobuhlanga ezifana neyamaRasta oMzantsi Afrika ziqingqwe kukuchazwa ngenye indlela okanye ukwahluka ngokwenkcubeko ngokwakhiwa kweengcinga ezigwenxa, ucalucalulo lokuzibonakalisa kwamaqela eenkcubeko ezahlukileyo ukuba ngubani omnye komnye kunye nokuchazwa ngenye indlela okauye ukwahluka ngokwenkolo. Okokugqibela, olu phandolwazi luxhasa ukuba ukuchazwa ngenye indlela okanye ukwahluka kuchaza ukuhlela ngokwamanqanaba enkcubeko kunye nokubaluleka kokumelwa, okufana nokwakhiwa kobuni. Injongo yalo kukuveza ukuba amaRasta ayazingca ngobuAfrika babo, lusamkela iEthiopia apho ubuRasta buvela khona kwaye eli lelona lizwe eAfrika elingazange libe phantsi kobukoloniyali. Olu phandolwazi lukhokelwa kwaye lusekelwe kumsebenzi owenziwayo wezandla, luye lwafikelela kumboniso owodwa kwaye luqulunqwe phakathi kwesigama sokuchazwa ngenye indlela okanye ukwahluka kwabanye abantu nakwiingcinga ezigwenxa kunye vi nengcingane yasemva kobukoloniyali yoqingqwa kweenkcubeko okanye iqela elithile labantu i-post-colonial theory of Liminality. Kusetyenziswe uphandolwazi ngokwamava oluntu kwezentlalo kunye nendlela yophandontyilazwi apho abaphandilwazi basebenzisa amava abo obuqu ukuqonda imicimbi yezentlalo (i-autoethnography) zisetyenziswa ngaphakathi kwindlela yophandontyilazwi ukubhentsisa nokucacisa ulwazi oluvelayo, olukwabonakaliswe kwimisebenzi eyenziwayo eyenza inxalenye ebalulekileyo yolu phandolwazi.

Nyakišišo ye ke kemedi ya othoetenokrafi ya leeto la monyakišiši bjalo ka Lerasta gomme e tšweletšwa ka ditshwantšhišo tša go bonwa. E botšološiša tshekamelo le mafokodi a go hlolwa ke go ba yo mongwe ka go swantšha ka gare ga go ba gona ga boitšhupo bja go akaretša ditšo. Boswananoši ka gare ga nyakišišo ye bo nyakišišwa bjalo ka lereo la mohola ye mentši leo le hlalošwago ke diphapano ka maswao a ka ntle le dimelo tša ka gare ka gare ga boitšhupo bja setšo. E hlaloša mathomo a tshekatsheko ya monagano le ya filosofi ya go dira tše dingwe le go dira dilo tše di sa swanego gare ga ditšo tše di fapanego, mokgwa wa bona wa sebjalebjale le ditshwayatshwayo tše di kgethilwego. Gape e bolela gore ditšo tša merafe ye mennyane go swana le Marasta a Afrika Borwa di tlengwa ke go akaretša setšo se sengwe ka go bopa dikgopolotee tše di sa swanego, go kgetholla kemedi ya dihlopha tša setšo tša boithati le yo mongwe le go ba ba bangwe ga bodumedi. Sa mafelelo, e tiišetša gore go ba bangwe go hlaloša dipeakanyo tša maatla ka go tatelano ya setšo le bohlokwa bja kemedi, go swana le kago ya boitšhupo. E ikemišeditše go utolla gore Marasta a ikgantšha ka Boafrika bja ona, a amogela Ethiopia moo e thomilego gona le gore ye ke naga e tee ka Afrika yeo e sa kago ya dirwa dikoloni. Nyakišišo ye ke ya bobedi go etwa pele le go thewa godimo ga mokgwa, gomme e feleleditše ka pontšho ya go ba noši gomme e foreimilwe ka gare ga dikgopolo tša go dira tše dingwe le go dira dilo tše di sa swanego le teori ya ka morago ga bokoloniale ya Liminalithi (Liminality). Fenomenolotši le othoetenokrafi di šomišwa ka gare ga mmotlolo wa boleng go utulla le go hlaloša tsebo ye e tšwelelago, yeo gape e tšweletšwago ka mešomong ye e šomago yeo e bopago karolo ye bohlokwa ya nyakišišo ye.