Pentecostalism and the (de)construction of ‘Otherness’: Experiences of black African students at a South African University

Abstract

Drawing on fieldwork conducted at a South African University, this qualitative study examines the lived experiences of black foreign students studying and living in South Africa. The study sought to understand the role that Pentecostalism plays in mediating the everyday experiences of black foreign students within and beyond the university campus spaces. A total of 30 student patrons from two Pentecostal churches were purposively sampled for the study. Data were collected using qualitative methods, including in‐depth interviews, participant observation, and informal conversations. Data were recorded, transcribed, and thematically analysed. The study findings revealed that for many African foreign students in South Africa, Pentecostalism mediated their sense of being on campus and allowed them to deal with the real and perceived social disarticulation fashioned by xenophobic terrains and attendant socio‐material anxieties. I assert that Pentecostal communities helped African foreign students to embed themselves and adjust to life on campus. These communities allowed them to forge convivial relationships and mutuality with fellow students and other Church members. Building on extant scholarly arguments and debates on Pentecostalism and student mobilities, I argue that Pentecostalism play(ed) a central role in the (de)construction of a sense of ‘Otherness’ through socio‐spiritual rituals including, sermons (the word), proselytisation and other social practices, albeit with varying degrees of success. Although Pentecostal networks strongly mediated black African foreign students' everyday navigation in precarious social spaces, the anxiety and the feeling of otherness are not completely removed.