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Kempe & Kempe (1978) state that parents whose cultural values differ significantly
from those within which they live, will cling tenaciously to their own cultural values to
maintain their authority and identity- even if such values include unacceptable
child-care practices. When explaining abuse in developing countries, some researchers
use a social disorganisation approach and relate abuse to changes in the traditional
way of life.
(h) Culture and conflict
Culture may be.defined as a way of life which is traditional to social groups and
acquired through social ties with such groups. It is transferrable, can be acquired and
shared, and above all, is dynamic. It regulates behaviour by setting certain codes of
conduct, values, norms and traditions, which are perpetuated from one generation to
the next. When divergent cultures or norms clash, confusion and irrational behaviour
may result (Cloete et al. 1980 : 125).
The concept of marginality is important in the discussion of culture conflict. The
marginal man falls socially and culturally between two societies and fits completely
into neither. He acts as a buffer between the society he has left behind into which he
no longer fits and the one to which he aspires, but in which he is a stranger. The
abusing parent can be likened to the marginal man. He has grown out of a traumatic
childhood plagued by rejection, deprivation and hostility. He longs for a more serene
adult life, but is trapped by the ghosts of the past, the inability to shake off unhappy
memories and enter into a new life (Ooete et al. 1980: 126).
The younger Indian in South Africa can also be regarded as marginal to a certain
extent. He has accepted and adopted a western way of life, although not completely
abandoning his own culture. According to Ramphal (1985 : 111) the "South African
Indian is neither a typical Indian by the standards of India nor a typical Westerner by
European standards. He is in the midst of change, neither truly one nor truly the
other."