Xenophobia in the context of African worldviews: A synopsis of the Nigerian situation

This paper examines the phenomenon of xenophobia in Africa. The manifestation of xenophobia was explored within the tenets of the terror management theory which links existential concerns to the development of worldviews that help to make sense of life vagaries. We put forward that colonialism impacted the African worldview of collectivism and human connectedness and contributed to a worldview of the world as a dangerous place. The authors largely situate xenophobic attitudes of Africans toward Africans within the colonial experience which promoted ethnic discord and influenced the perception and receptivity toward strangers. The value of collectivism in pre-colonial and post-colonial African societies was compared to demonstrate the impact of colonialism. Furthermore, a synopsis of ethnic politics as a legacy of colonialism in Nigeria was provided. The authors conclude by emphasizing the importance of giving recognition to ethnic identity as one approach to managing xenophobic attitudes toward co-nationals in African countries.

The multicultural conceptualisation of well-being : The role of culture and circumstance in operationalising well-being in South Africa: A mixed-methods approach

BACKGROUND

Exploring and understanding indicators of better life outcomes have remained popular among social and health researchers. However, the subjective approach to measuring well-being has raised questions on the appropriateness of standard measures of well-being in multicultural settings. The current study examines generalised well-being and its dependence on the implicit understanding of individual culture and circumstances.

METHODS

A mixed-method approach with a cross-sectional design and focus group discussions was adopted. Fifteen focus group discussions with 66 participants were conducted in four provinces of South Africa. Descriptive statistics, correlations, regression analysis and analysis of variance were computed for quantitative data. The focus group discussions were analysed using a content analysis approach. The recorded focus group discussions were transcribed using the intelligent verbatim technique. Data analysis was done stepwise using open, axial, and selective coding techniques.

RESULTS

Quantitative analysis showed a strong and significant association between quality of life and income and a moderate association with educational attainment. The open coding technique for qualitative data confirmed 11 different subconstructs of well-being, mentioned 403 times during the 15 focus group discussions. Furthermore, well-being indicators varied based on participants' racial identity.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings confirm personal circumstance and culture as significant for interpreting results from well-being research. Furthermore, it supports Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, highlighting the movement from deficiency needs to growth needs after deficiency needs are met. Research must adopt a more sociological approach to improve the accuracy and implementibility of findings when using standardised measures of well-being.

Interpreting Microaggression as a Determinant of Wellbeing

Despite the increasing interest in exploring microaggression in the humanitarian context, there remains uncertainty on its mechanism for affecting life outcomes. There is a lack of studies on ethnic and racial minorities in non-western countries. The current research explores dimensions and manifestations of microaggression and how they affect wellbeing in a multicultural setting. The study uses a qualitative approach with 15 focus group discussions (FGDs) and 66 participants conducted in 4 provinces of South Africa: Gauteng (k = 6), North-West (k = 3), KwaZulu-Natal (k = 3), and Western Cape (k = 3). The recorded FGDs were transcribed using the intelligent verbatim technique. The transcripts were then analysed using a phenomenological approach. Data analysis was done stepwise using the deductive coding technique. Results show that participants' perception of the dimensions of microaggression varies depending on the manifestation as verbal, behavioural, or systemic. Furthermore, variations in patterns and reactions to dimensions of microaggression were linked with participants' racial identity. It further confirms that experiencing discrimination is associated with poorer wellbeing. Connectedness to the ingroup provides stability and certainty in multi-group societies due to the group rivalry that pervades such societies.

Body appreciation around the world: Measurement invariance of the Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2) across 65 nations, 40 languages, gender identities, and age

The Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2) is a widely used measure of a core facet of the positive body image construct. However, extant research concerning measurement invariance of the BAS-2 across a large number of nations remains limited. Here, we utilised the Body Image in Nature (BINS) dataset - with data collected between 2020 and 2022 - to assess measurement invariance of the BAS-2 across 65 nations, 40 languages, gender identities, and age groups. Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis indicated that full scalar invariance was upheld across all nations, languages, gender identities, and age groups, suggesting that the unidimensional BAS-2 model has widespread applicability. There were large differences across nations and languages in latent body appreciation, while differences across gender identities and age groups were negligible-to-small. Additionally, greater body appreciation was significantly associated with higher life satisfaction, being single (versus being married or in a committed relationship), and greater rurality (versus urbanicity). Across a subset of nations where nation-level data were available, greater body appreciation was also significantly associated with greater cultural distance from the United States and greater relative income inequality. These findings suggest that the BAS-2 likely captures a near-universal conceptualisation of the body appreciation construct, which should facilitate further cross-cultural research.

Need for closure and ethnic identification: The varied roles of cultural intelligence in a multiethnic group society

Multiethnic group countries are distinctive in that ethnic identification/loyalty and national identification/loyalty sometimes contend. In addition, the different ethnic groups that make up these countries though interdependent compete for relevance. Such a mode of social relationship creates uncertainty and heightens the consciousness of group survival. These characteristics make African countries rich sites for the investigation of intergroup relations. Given this context, the need for closure and cultural intelligence were examined in relation to ethnic identification. Data were collected via the use of questionnaires from a sample of undergraduate students drawn from different ethnic groups. Findings show that the need for closure and cultural intelligence are directly related to ethnic identification. Also, cultural intelligence was a significant moderator of the relationship between need for closure and ethnic identification. Findings suggest that cultural intelligence may encourage an open-mindedness which could help promote successful social interactions in multigroup countries. In addition, the results of this study support theoretical and empirical positions that have advanced group interdependence as a potent tool for intergroup cooperation.

Psycho-social correlates of wellbeing among South Africans: An exploration of the 2017 South African Social Attitudes Survey (SASAS)

Wellbeing is a public health variable as it is an index of societal development. According to the most recent World Happiness Reports, South Africa ranks low in the self-reported wellbeing of its citizens. This study set out to understand the contributory factors to wellbeing of South Africans. This study explored the South African Social Attitudes Survey (SASAS) of 2017, a national survey of social attitudes in South Africa for variables that are related to the wellbeing of the citizens. Group identification, national identification, hopefulness for group's future, positive interracial contact, belief in sustaining memory of apartheid, attitude towards immigrants, frequency of group's discrimination experience, and life satisfaction were identified. Statistical analysis showed that these variables are significantly associated with wellbeing for the total sample. Also, analysis by population groups showed that these variables had differential significance for members of different groups. Life satisfaction emerged as the most important predictor of wellbeing for the total sample and Black Africans, Indian/Asians, and Colored groups. The findings of this study showed that different psycho-social factors are critical to the wellbeing of South Africans. It was suggested that the life experiences of the different population groups could influence how important a factor is in wellbeing and this should be considered in efforts to improve wellbeing of the citizens.

Interethnic Influencing Factors Regarding Buttocks Body Image in Women from Nigeria, Germany, USA and Japan

BACKGROUND

Body image research deals a lot with awareness of the body as an entity. Studies that consider individual anatomical aspects and place them in an intercultural context are rarely present.

METHODS

For this purpose, general data, body perception and judgment of body images from 2163 (48% female and 52% male) participants from Germany, Nigeria, the USA and Japan were evaluated as part of a survey.

RESULTS

There were clear differences in the personal body image of the participants' own buttocks, the buttocks as a beauty ideal and the way in which dissatisfaction was dealt with in different countries. In addition to sexual well-being (importance score: 0.405 a.u.), the country of origin (0.353), media consumption (0.042) and one's own weight (0.069) were also identified as influencing factors for satisfaction with one's own buttocks. A clear evolution could be derived regarding a WHR (waist-to-hip ratio) of well below 0.7, which was consistently favored by the participants but also propagated by influencers through images (p < 0.001). In this context, participants who indicated celebrities as role models for the buttocks showed a correspondingly high level of dissatisfaction with their own buttocks (R = -0.207, p < 0.001, ρ = -0.218).

CONCLUSION

Overall, a highly significant correlation was shown between the consumption frequency of Instagram, TikTok and pornography with the negative perception of women's own buttocks.