Of course, dichotomies cannot possibly exist on their own, and I have never advocated such. However, what has interested me is the formation of South Africans of Indian origin's social identities in regards to their racial categorisation as an "Indian group", a somewhat thwarted blend of diluting the Indian, Pakistani, Sri-Lankan and Bangladeshi histories into a colonial Indian Sub-continent. This mix of nationality and race within the context of Global media forces has created an imagined community, torn between the "blackness and whiteness" of South African history, and between the "East and West" of the Global phenomenon.
On a sub-topical level, my interests also extends to how (crudely speaking) Black/White/Coloured South Africans have formed their ideas and perception of India - the country, as a specific result of the South African Indian community. While Europe generally may see India as the land of magic, do White South Africans see it as the same? Black South Africans? How is the perceived social identity of an entire nation created through pockets of diasporas all across the world? Even more interesting, the social identity of "Indians" is seen both as a race and nationality in different parts of the world. .
The questions have merely proliferated. .
Thesis.
This paper, using my thoughts as a backdrop, aims to critically explore the question whether race may be described as a social identity. Firstly, "identity" and "social identity" as theoretical concepts will be explored to essentially offer a thorough understanding of the concepts. This will be followed by a brief overview of the development of "identity" and this will lead finally to the discussion of race and social identity.
What is "Identity"?.
According to Kitano (1991), an individual's identity comprises of many elements. This includes work, marital status, age, and gender, amongst others. Moreover, it is argues that an individual is made up of a number of identities.
