Table of contentsIntroductionSocial construction through colonizationChallenges of colonizationImplications of colonizationSocial construction through apartheidChallenges of apartheidPost-apartheid implicationsPost-apartheid solutions apartheidIntroductionWhiteness has undermined the value of black communities, in that black people are no longer accurately represented by their own beliefs and culture. This essay will focus on why these negative perceptions have arisen, examine ways to resolve them and restore the true identity of black African communities. “Whiteness” has been defined as a series of traits or characteristics associated with the white race. Mindset is described by Merriam-Webster (2019) as an outlook or way of thinking. Both of these concepts are important to understand in order to grasp what is meant by “whiteness mentality.” In this context, the “whiteness mentality” can be understood as the perception that white people have of black communities due to characteristics associated with white people, as well as the possible advantages or different lifestyle experienced by white people, particularly in South Africa. Whiteness affects how people see and move through the world (Berlak, 2008). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essaySocial Construction through ColonizationAfrican communities were socially constructed based on the opinions of those around them and potentially led to opinions among themselves, about themselves. Colonization is the starting point of social construction because it is the beginning of how African communities were affected. White colonies from Europe arrived in Africa and colonized many black communities. Violence, weapons and machines were used to take land and people for the benefit of the white population. White people were now rich in resources and power, while black people were the exact antithesis. This power allowed black people to be perceived and extended to white children who viewed black people negatively. If black children were to attend white African schools, they would be weakened and treated as if they did not know the world they live in and would feel inferior. Black Africa was perceived by colonizers as slow, inhumane, vicious and exhibiting a number of other notorious traits (Fanon, 1963). These comments were potentially made because of their acts of polygamy, the way they lived their lives, their beliefs and their culture. The children of white colonizers called black people “black people,” which shows how much reckless power white people had. The colonists succeeded in dehumanizing these "brutal", "illogical" and "barbaric" people, they instilled in the natives a psychology according to which if the colonizers left, the Africans would return to their uncivilized ways. Africans would then believe that their colonized life is the “right” way to live. describing the identity of black African people. One of the major challenges that indigenous people faced during colonialism was potentially the loss of identity due to loss of culture. With the power of the colonizers, customs, values, beliefs, traditions and essentially culture were influenced by the beliefs of Western culture. Black people went to Western Christian churches and heard Western cultural myths and spiritual beliefs. It waspotentially the only beliefs and cultures that black people could practice and therefore lost touch with their own beliefs and culture. Intellectual natives would seek to defend the existence of their culture and realize that this requires them to fight physically and that fighting would restore their past value. Fanon (1963) states that the extent to which the natives defend the existence of their culture as an amazing thing and as the unrestricted affirmation of African culture is formidable, an African Cultural Society was established to bear witness to this. However, fighting for culture is a challenge in itself. Fighting for one's culture during the era of colonialism meant risking one's life and therefore risking losing one's culture anyway. In light of this, many natives withdrew from Western lifestyles and turned to any culture avoiding that of the West, leading to a loss of identity. Fanon (1963) responds by asserting that the maintenance of tradition, or its absence, is not exclusively due to colonization, but also to the fact that the national middle class suffers from what he calls "laziness". intellectual" and a spiritual poverty in which the spirit of the natives is installed. Fanon (1963) also recognizes a certain extent of this “laziness” in the postcolonial world. . The economy is poor and the natives seek to create a capitalist society, focusing on secondary and tertiary activities. Activities such as commerce, agriculture and the liberal professions rather than industries, production and work, this expresses the ignorance they have of the economy of their own country (Fanon, 1963). The challenges are therefore multiple, that of the ability to function in a society where your life has been turned upside down. In a place governed by people who aim to govern your mind and your possessions Fanon (1963), to govern your beliefs and your identity. In a place where it is difficult to stay alive, where one's existence is to serve someone else, these are challenges that can pose a threat to psychology and lead to a vulnerable and extremely sensitive existence. This shows how social constructionism and the challenges faced by African communities through the white mindset can create implications that are not only physically but emotionally and mentally sensitive. No electricity Fanon (1963), making basic livelihoods difficult. The distribution of wealth is not equal between levels of society, leading to the death of a large part of the indigenous population. Fanon (1963). Fanon (1963) explains that mental development is uneven, old traditions are unfamiliar, perceptions are tainted, and young Africans are unstable and threatened by Western assaults, all because of colonization. The natives, in the postcolonial era, are exposed to a country with little economic power and are therefore not able to meet their immediate needs. It can also be long-term, as meeting these basic needs can be difficult in a slowly growing economy. Acquiring the spiritual and cultural identity of what black communities once had will be a long process, especially for those who are mentally affected by colonization and will have to return to concepts that are no longer familiar to them. Social construction through apartheid Race is an integral part of the world today, particularly in South Africa. Race facilitates every facet of a person's life, from employment and opportunities to politics and law. The breed is consideredas a social phenomenon, that is to say the association between physical characteristics and personal characteristics, it is a way of explaining, understanding and acting in the world. Race was socially constructed, and in doing so, personal characteristics were associated with it: a flat nose, woolly hair, and darker complexion determined your place in slavery. However, it worked both ways, Whites are equally affected by the social construction of race (Haney Lopez, 1994). Not all white people believed in these tests to determine their nature and not all white people believed slavery was okay, so it is clear that personal characteristics do not align with one's race. This also follows apartheid in South Africa, where not all white people tolerated this era and fought against it. It is clear how much of the social construct originated from the era of apartheid. slavery and is still used for negative associations towards African communities. In apartheid South Africa, race determined your place in society and for black Africans this constituted a status of great inferiority, intellectually and otherwise (Dubow, 1992). Each separation in all parts of South Africa and the unequal distribution of resources helped to develop people's negative perceptions of black South Africans. Apartheid segregation allowed the state to retain land in its use, possession and occupation of land, the Group Areas Act reinforced this claim. Land segregation also restricted blacks' access to educational services. Challenges ApartheidDuring apartheid, black communities suffered violations of their human rights. The National Party and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission have allowed health professionals to be complicit in the various human rights violations that take place daily in health facilities. These health professionals sometimes used their knowledge to assist the state in the fight against opponents of apartheid by manipulating access to care. The health care of masses of people was either ignored or violated by moral and ethical codes during apartheid and colonialism. There was also an extreme lack of support for organizations and individuals who opposed apartheid and who were often victims of its actions. The entire healthcare sector was corrupt due to apartheid which affected all facets of the industry and explicitly affected opponents of apartheid, largely black African communities. Another major challenge faced by black people during apartheid was that racial groups were segregated and educated separately, by separate apartheid departments. education. The resources received and the quality of education were determined by the racial group to which you belonged. “Whites” received resources from the First World while other racial groups received resources from the Third World. The resources the majority received were facilities filled with too many people, therefore crowded and uncomfortable learning conditions, teachers were underqualified or poorly trained, and the content learned was intended to reinforce the racial segregation and classification experienced in today’s apartheid society (Nates, 2010). ).During apartheid and colonialism, the African language was defined as a "language" as opposed to a "language" whose term in itself held value, rights and esteem, while the associations with the term "language" did not grant such high remarks. in fact, it's the opposite...