Hazing Practices in South African Schools: A Case of Grade 12 Learners in Gauteng Province

Hazing is an ancient, universal practice. In past and modern societies, the need to join a group is an aspect of humanity. The process of joining a group frequently includes the need to be hazed to legitimate full membership. This article uses the theoretical frameworks of Foucault and Bourdieu’s perspectives of social order, Tajfel and Turner’s theory of social identity, and Bandura’s theory of moral disengagement to inform the phenomenon of individuals joining groups. In particular, the study has sought to ascertain why those who haze are motivated to act. A grounded theory was developed through interviewing young adults, who planned hazing activities while in positions of leadership as Grade 12 learners in Gauteng schools. The grounded theory shows that hazing although enacted by an individual is not solely driven by that person, but rather hazing is a means of cultural reproduction. The developed theory is grounded and was verified through interviewing stakeholders in the school community who had extensive knowledge of the school culture and of Grade 12 learners.