Arnadóttir, Ingibjörg Bryndís

Kræmer, Amalie

Larsen, Katrine Hejslet

Rutkovska, Elina

Winther, Vibeke Amber

Zymberi, Fitore

This project aims to investigate how quality of the black individual is affected by racial identity. The project takes its point of departure in the theories of quality of life by Søren Ventegodt, Neil T. Higgs and Valerie Møller. According to these scholars quality of life is understood as a person’s own evaluation of the person’s life, taking into consideration both subjective and objective measures and furthermore both external and internal factors. In addition, Maykel Verkuyten’s un- derstandings of essentialism, primordialism and circumstantialism are presented in the project in order to create a stronger basis of understanding quality of life in South Africa. The analysis is con- ducted by applying these theories to four interviews with four black South African males. By doing so we aim to clarify how their quality of life has been affect by their racial identity, and by that cre- ate a basis for understanding an overall pattern in the country. In doing so we were able to con- clude, that a person’s racial identity to a certain extent becomes an indicator of social class, which affects the quality of life. Thus, quality of life is affected by racial identity in South Africa. Since the concept is subjective we cannot provide a one-sided answer to the question of how this occurs. This is so, since quality of life in certain contexts is arguably affected by racial identity, while in others not. Since quality of life is determined from an overall assessment of one’s life, even though some aspects are not affected by racial identity, quality of life overall might be.This project aims to investigate how quality of the black individual is affected by racial identity. The project takes its point of departure in the theories of quality of life by Søren Ventegodt, Neil T. Higgs and Valerie Møller. According to these scholars quality of life is understood as a person’s own evaluation of the person’s life, taking into consideration both subjective and objective measures and furthermore both external and internal factors. In addition, Maykel Verkuyten’s un- derstandings of essentialism, primordialism and circumstantialism are presented in the project in order to create a stronger basis of understanding quality of life in South Africa. The analysis is con- ducted by applying these theories to four interviews with four black South African males. By doing so we aim to clarify how their quality of life has been affect by their racial identity, and by that cre- ate a basis for understanding an overall pattern in the country. In doing so we were able to con- clude, that a person’s racial identity to a certain extent becomes an indicator of social class, which affects the quality of life. Thus, quality of life is affected by racial identity in South Africa. Since the concept is subjective we cannot provide a one-sided answer to the question of how this occurs. This is so, since quality of life in certain contexts is arguably affected by racial identity, while in others not. Since quality of life is determined from an overall assessment of one’s life, even though some aspects are not affected by racial identity, quality of life overall might be

Quality of life in South Africa - with a focus on the black individual

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Roskilde Universitet