As one would expect, a subculture like this in a developing economy like South Africa has not been well received. It’s often criticised as wasteful and reckless by society and in the media. Prominent investigative journalist Debora Patta, for example, labelled izikhothane as “bling gone obscenely mad” on national TV. The question is: why do izikhothane embrace conspicuous consumption despite their limited means?
As communications scholars, we in a recent research paper explored the link between consumption and the idea of rehumanisation – or restoring dignity to marginalised lives. We investigated how this subculture is a form of fashion consciousness with a long history – leading on from the “diamondfield dandies” of the 1800s and the oswenka of the 1900s.
We argue that ukukhothana is a form of expression that has the potential to reclaim a sense of selfhood and pride in the remnants of oppression in post-apartheid South Africa.
UK anthropologist Mary Douglas and UK economist Baron Isherwood suggested in 1979 that consumption is a purposeful act. It’s often aimed at conveying identity, cultural values and social circumstances.
US sociologist Thorstein Veblen’s concept of “conspicuous consumption” aptly captures this phenomenon. It refers to the act of displaying wealth and status through ostentatious spending.
Izikhothane’s behaviour can be understood within this framework. It’s an effort to signal their defiance against adversity and assert their presence in a society that has historically marginalised those who look like them. This historical marginalisation involved the
treatment of black people as less than human through the system of apartheid.
Reversing the process of dehumanisation and reclaiming humanity is a nuanced effort that happens through a process of rehumanisation.
People use belongings not only to express who they are but to construct their “best” selves. Izikhothane are not the first and will not be the last to do this. Various sartorial subcultures appear to have arisen under conditions of dehumanisation in SA.
These include the diamondfields dandies of the 1880s in Kimberley and the oswenka in Jeppestown in Johannesburg in the 1950s. These fashion subcultures found themselves in dehumanising conditions of migrant labour exploitation. They used expensive clothing and competitions of display to carve out a sense of their own humanity.
Izikhothane’s seemingly frivolous consumption rituals defy the constraints of their socioeconomic backgrounds. Their fashion choices protest the enduring effects of apartheid. The izikhothane of post-apartheid South Africa show us the power of consumption to challenge social norms and resist structural injustices.
- The article first appeared in The Conversation
