The role of threat on Afrikaner attitude towards affirmative action and its beneficiaries

Abstract

The research aimed to identify the level of threat currently experienced by Afrikaners, and their attitudes towards policies of affirmative action and the beneficiaries of these policies. Integrated threat theory was used in conjunction with social identity theory to identify current attitudes, and to investigate whether different attitudes existed between groups within the Afrikaner group. Data was collected from a representative sample via questionnaires. Research findings show that Afrikaners feel extremely threatened. Afrikaner negativity is focused directly on the policies of affirmative action rather than the beneficiaries of these policies. It was evident that Afrikaner males feel more threatened than Afrikaner females. Young Afrikaners attitudes are consistently the most negative of all Afrikaner groups; this was unexpected as this group of individuals has spent the majority of their young lives in a democratic South Africa. It is evident that a lot of work is still required to insure that the injustices of the past be adequately addressed. It is of critical importance that affirmative action be implemented with consideration to all groups of people and to understand the effect it has on those groups being negatively affected by it. All South Africans need to be responsible and recognise that the manner in which policy is implemented, has far greater influence than just the expected outcome of such policies. Copyright