What, according to Comaroff and Comaroff, is the connection between the rise of so-called "occult economies" in post-apartheid South Africa and the expansion of a global economic regime of neoliberal markets?
According to Comaroff and Comaroff, the connection between the aptly named "occult economies" in post-apartheid South Africa and the expanding neoliberal markets on a global scale is one that when broken down, becomes understandable. After apartheid, greater access to technology and global economics swelled the inherent need to survive in South Africa. This was their chance and for all they knew, their only one. They saw how farmers all over the world were increasingly part of "free" markets of capitalism and earning fair wages. However, labor was in short supply in South Africa. Millennials all over the globe were getting something for nothing and South Africa wanted that. They were tired of barely getting by and resorted to the easiest thing, a cultural past time of witchcraft. Hunting anyone practicing or not, didn't matter, this was ritual killing. This is how the term "occult economies" came to be-making money by any means necessary-selling body parts in the global market. They were going to have what everyone else did, just like farmers producing coffee, milk, etc., finally escaping poverty in new liberal markets. "Occult economies" provided immediate financial safety in a life of nothing but unemployment and destitution.
Comaroff and Comaroff point the connection between the rise of "occult economies" in post-apartheid South Africa towards a few different factors. First we must understand the motives occult economies run upon. Comaroff and Comaroff describe two principles that tend to go with occult economies. Firstly, falling into this economy is due to the pursuit of the new, by almost magical means of acquirement. Secondly, there's a desire to eradicate people who are capable to enriching themselves by those same means. When looking at the post-apartheid society of South Africa, it is easy to see how the ideals came about. There was such a strong nature of struggle during the time of the apartheid, the people who struggled only wished for a life of freedom and success. When the apartheid ended, there were advancements to technology and the world began to change in this new technological age. Those of the younger generation began to have success in new neoliberal markets and free markets. Those of the older generation who existed during times of tribulation just wanted to achieve the same thing. Although they had to rely on culturally rooted tactics such as witchcraft, selling body parts, ritual killing, etc. since unemployment was high in South Africa. When brought together, these several, complex, generational, differing factors tie into the cause of the rise of occult economies in post-apartheid South Africa.
According to Comaroff & Comaroff postcolonial South Africa, like many postrevolutionary countries, have had a overwhelming uptake in “occult economies” in the use of, real or fictional magical practices for material gains. They accept a variety of phenomena, from "ritual murder," the sale of human body parts, and the manipulative creation of victims to pyramid schemes and other financial means of public manipulation. This has resulted, in many areas, to violent repercussions against individuals thought to be benefiting from this and amassing wealth. In the conflict that have since occurred, the main factors of conflict have been neither race nor class but generational struggle facilitated by gender mainly. Trying to understand the clash of rural South Africa with the contradictory results of contemporary capitalism and the culture of neoliberalism; seems to be at the core of this article. It also has potential for use in anthropology methods, urging them to do ethnography to observe how; the history and culture of South Africa intersect with the current global influences of capitalism and financial systems.
Comaroff and Comaroff establish that connection between the rise of occult economies in post-apartheid South Africa and the expansion of global economic neoliberal markets stems from the controversial 1990s occult practices seen in Zulu Mythology. From an outsider's perspective, this way of life looks like a mash of barbaric insanity that should probably result in multiple death sentences or infinite prison time for participants. Ultimately, it is (in terms of what American culture respects) but the main point of it is that it aligns with the values of neoliberalism. Neoliberalism refers to a system where every action of all active participants in the system play into a grand scheme of market transactions that are supposed to generate infinite wealth. These transactions are committed in competition with other participants and have an increasing impact on potential transactions around the given participant. Transactions occur in an infinitely short time, as they cause more transactions in a sort of domino effect. Theoretically, they get repeated at an infinitely fast rate. This sounds good, but none of it would be legit or actually feasible for a very long time because very few people agree with the means of protocol (only the occult / witches / warlocks) for the fact of the harm that it does to humanity and morals. Essentially, the stronger, the witch, the more power, they acquire financially via occult neoliberalism. Neoliberalism is a way to obtain wealth in multitude, but the issue it poses is that it's not healthy for the mental psyche or participants.
The pyramid schemes bring to mind other schemes and stratagems, different and similar that flow from a mix of scarcity and deregulation...but schemes in between legal and illegal have sprung up all over the place, especially in post-revolutionary societies. These schemes cover a wide range, through familiar forms of "national lotteries and offshore gambling, to aggressive s peculative investment of the stock markets of the world, now heavily into global funds led to an upsurge of "pump and dump swindles."281 Post apartheid south africa is trying to construct a modernist nation state under post modern conditions. the end of apartheid held out the prospect that everyone would be set free to gather, consume, and indulge repressed desires.
According to Comaroff and Comaroff, the rise of occult economies in South Africa along with the expansion of a global economic regime of neoliberal markets are a cause and reaction to opening of neoliberal markets that apartheid South Africa has new access to. Due to the voodoo and occult past that was rooted in society along with the divide between the young and old, the rise of occult activities was a reaction from the unemployed rural population in an attempt to access and participate in the new markets. Though occult behavior in a modern neoliberal market is not unheard of, South African cases often include mutilation and magic, along with parallels to old folk tales. Due to the lack of understanding of the new markets paired with the uneducation often found in rural older populations, Comaroff and Commaroff point out that this group of people could not pinpoint where the new money and jobs were coming from, so they turned to the occult to both explain the new wealth, and also to gain some of it as well. This also included trying to sell western qualities, since that was were the new markets and money were coming from.
According to Comaroff and Comaroff, the connection between the aptly named "occult economies" in post-apartheid South Africa and the expanding neoliberal markets on a global scale is one that when broken down, becomes understandable. After apartheid, greater access to technology and global economics swelled the inherent need to survive in South Africa. This was their chance and for all they knew, their only one. They saw how farmers all over the world were increasingly part of "free" markets of capitalism and earning fair wages. However, labor was in short supply in South Africa. Millennials all over the globe were getting something for nothing and South Africa wanted that. They were tired of barely getting by and resorted to the easiest thing, a cultural past time of witchcraft. Hunting anyone practicing or not, didn't matter, this was ritual killing. This is how the term "occult economies" came to be-making money by any means necessary-selling body parts in the global market. They were going to have what everyone else did, just like farmers producing coffee, milk, etc., finally escaping poverty in new liberal markets. "Occult economies" provided immediate financial safety in a life of nothing but unemployment and destitution.
ReplyDeleteComaroff and Comaroff point the connection between the rise of "occult economies" in post-apartheid South Africa towards a few different factors. First we must understand the motives occult economies run upon. Comaroff and Comaroff describe two principles that tend to go with occult economies. Firstly, falling into this economy is due to the pursuit of the new, by almost magical means of acquirement. Secondly, there's a desire to eradicate people who are capable to enriching themselves by those same means. When looking at the post-apartheid society of South Africa, it is easy to see how the ideals came about. There was such a strong nature of struggle during the time of the apartheid, the people who struggled only wished for a life of freedom and success. When the apartheid ended, there were advancements to technology and the world began to change in this new technological age. Those of the younger generation began to have success in new neoliberal markets and free markets. Those of the older generation who existed during times of tribulation just wanted to achieve the same thing. Although they had to rely on culturally rooted tactics such as witchcraft, selling body parts, ritual killing, etc. since unemployment was high in South Africa. When brought together, these several, complex, generational, differing factors tie into the cause of the rise of occult economies in post-apartheid South Africa.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Comaroff & Comaroff postcolonial South Africa, like many postrevolutionary countries, have had a overwhelming uptake in “occult economies” in the use of, real or fictional magical practices for material gains. They accept a variety of phenomena, from "ritual murder," the sale of human body parts, and the manipulative creation of victims to pyramid schemes and other financial means of public manipulation. This has resulted, in many areas, to violent repercussions against individuals thought to be benefiting from this and amassing wealth. In the conflict that have since occurred, the main factors of conflict have been neither race nor class but generational struggle facilitated by gender mainly. Trying to understand the clash of rural South Africa with the contradictory results of contemporary capitalism and the culture of neoliberalism; seems to be at the core of this article. It also has potential for use in anthropology methods, urging them to do ethnography to observe how; the history and culture of South Africa intersect with the current global influences of capitalism and financial systems.
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ReplyDeleteComaroff and Comaroff establish that connection between the rise of occult economies in post-apartheid South Africa and the expansion of global economic neoliberal markets stems from the controversial 1990s occult practices seen in Zulu Mythology. From an outsider's perspective, this way of life looks like a mash of barbaric insanity that should probably result in multiple death sentences or infinite prison time for participants. Ultimately, it is (in terms of what American culture respects) but the main point of it is that it aligns with the values of neoliberalism.
ReplyDeleteNeoliberalism refers to a system where every action of all active participants in the system play into a grand scheme of market transactions that are supposed to generate infinite wealth. These transactions are committed in competition with other participants and have an increasing impact on potential transactions around the given participant. Transactions occur in an infinitely short time, as they cause more transactions in a sort of domino effect. Theoretically, they get repeated at an infinitely fast rate. This sounds good, but none of it would be legit or actually feasible for a very long time because very few people agree with the means of protocol (only the occult / witches / warlocks) for the fact of the harm that it does to humanity and morals. Essentially, the stronger, the witch, the more power, they acquire financially via occult neoliberalism. Neoliberalism is a way to obtain wealth in multitude, but the issue it poses is that it's not healthy for the mental psyche or participants.
The pyramid schemes bring to mind other schemes and stratagems, different and similar that flow from a mix of scarcity and deregulation...but schemes in between legal and illegal have sprung up all over the place, especially in post-revolutionary societies. These schemes cover a wide range, through familiar forms of "national lotteries and offshore gambling, to aggressive s peculative investment of the stock markets of the world, now heavily into global funds led to an upsurge of "pump and dump swindles."281 Post apartheid south africa is trying to construct a modernist nation state under post modern
ReplyDeleteconditions. the end of apartheid held out the prospect that everyone would be set free to gather, consume, and indulge repressed desires.
According to Comaroff and Comaroff, the rise of occult economies in South Africa along with the expansion of a global economic regime of neoliberal markets are a cause and reaction to opening of neoliberal markets that apartheid South Africa has new access to. Due to the voodoo and occult past that was rooted in society along with the divide between the young and old, the rise of occult activities was a reaction from the unemployed rural population in an attempt to access and participate in the new markets. Though occult behavior in a modern neoliberal market is not unheard of, South African cases often include mutilation and magic, along with parallels to old folk tales. Due to the lack of understanding of the new markets paired with the uneducation often found in rural older populations, Comaroff and Commaroff point out that this group of people could not pinpoint where the new money and jobs were coming from, so they turned to the occult to both explain the new wealth, and also to gain some of it as well. This also included trying to sell western qualities, since that was were the new markets and money were coming from.
ReplyDelete