Xenophobia and crime : foreign nationals awaiting trial in a South African prison
The recent spate of crimes, allegedly committed by foreign nationals in South Africa, has prompted some South Africans to blame crime in general on foreign migrants. Drawing on annual statistical analysis of inmates within South African prisons conducted by the Department of Correctional Services, this research reflects on the increase of foreign nationals in South African Prisons since 2005. Furthermore, media reports, namely newspapers, television and radio, have alluded to the increase in the levels of xenophobia among many South Africans. In this research, interviews were conducted with prison officials and awaiting-trial foreign national prisoners at Medium A, Westville Prison, Durban, South Africa. Against the background of overcrowded prison conditions, the violence that emerges from South African society and the dearth of proper statistics, the question solicited is: Are these claims of crimes committed by foreigners in South Africa true or mere speculation? The findings of this research indicate that some foreign nationals do commit crime in contrast to the myth that most foreign nationals are offenders. The experiences of awaiting-trial foreign national detainees are documented in order to add their voices to the debate on crime, migration and xenophobia in South Africa.
Seeking refuge in South Africa: The victimization of vulnerable persons
Many Africans confront and deal with very trying situations in their countries that are very different from the comforts enjoyed in developed parts of the world. Labeled as a ‘traumatized continent’ (Norridge, 2013: 64), many Africans motivated by the basic human necessities for food and safety flee their countries, seeking refuge in South Africa. The large influx of refugees has given rise to invalid concerns from the government and the ‘champions’ of their interest (Mauss, 1975: 10), the media. These concerns have spurred changes in the practice of the asylum system which are aimed at targeting refugees, rather than improving their situation, increasing the vulnerability of persons already fleeing persecution: the refugees, the victims. The aim of this paper is to analyze the problem from a victimological stand point, and draw attention to the issue that more research needs to be conducted with victims to improve our understanding of the impacts these practices have.
Negotiating the cultural and economic outcomes of sport heritage attractions: the case of the National Baseball Hall of Fame
ABSTRACT Contemporary museums must balance their roles as commercial entities and repositories of various, and often dissonant, heritages and histories. Sports museums in particular often have clear commercial and nostalgic aims, particularly through tourist visitation, though the extent to which they represent more challenging narratives remains unclear. This paper examines how one of the most famous sports museums in the world, the National Baseball Hall of Fame (NBHF) in Cooperstown, New York, balances its dual role as tourist attraction and repository of baseball's sometimes checkered past. It was found that different sections of the museum provide greater or lesser degrees of engagement with more controversial issues, although the commercial outputs and appeal of the museum remains clear throughout. Utlimately, the NBHF demonstrates that balancing veneration and critique in collections can be commercially prosperous, and can provide a template for other sport and popular culture museums who may be wary of incorporating more challenging narratives in their exhibits. Furthermore, the symbiotic relationship between the Hall of Fame and the village of Cooperstown, particularly in creating and maintaining cultural and economic outputs, requires further exploration.