The Making of a Good White - E-thesis - Helsinki.fi

On the other hand, since nobody controls the residents’ private lives any
longer, there is less pressure on them to exert tactics, which aims to show
how well they fit within the framework of a middle-class white. A return
to the practical problems of everyday survival is inevitable.
The identities of the residents are challenged and contested, while the
ideas of race, class and gender are changing. This makes the remaining
social network of those identifying with Group C tighter than before.
Identities are protected from outsiders and nurtured within the community.
The positive side of the social relations is emphasised, and the mutual
support networks were presented to me as strong and vital.
The positive side of belonging to the community is manifested in public
situations where the residents readily declare love for and solidarity
with one another. In the services of the Dutch Reformed Church (the
White church, all its members come from Groups C and B) this becomes
very transparent when parishioners are congratulated on their birthdays
and then hugged and kissed. This was quite different from the services
that I attended in Stellenbosch, where people were only given birthday
cards.
In the interviews, the senior lady residents talk about the tea parties
they arrange for one another, and of times of sharing when money or food
is scarce.
”P. and I. are both over 70. They have very little money to get by with,
and they often run out of money before the next pension day. Still, they
merrily assure me they do not worry about money, because they have
one another. They have such a lot of fun. They sing songs, write little
stories and tell jokes to one another.” (Author’s field notes.)
I am constantly told that many elderly people are helped by their neighbours
in numerous ways. Some of the seniors are almost emblematic to
the community. They are highly respected and widely appreciated for
their honourable lives and their ability to endure difficulties. Highly idealised
stories and images of support, and extended mutual help continuously
emerged. But support and warmth also have their negative side.
Suspicion towards outsiders and protection of one’s privacy are integral
parts of the life in Ruyterwacht.
In my fieldwork I identified three aspects of this protection that were
connected to the identity games and tactics that I described in chapters six
and seven. Firstly there is the ideal of keeping to one’s own.
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