ABSTRACT
Anchored on symbolic interactionism, a strand of sociological theory, this chapter analyses Mchongoano as an urban youth joke-genre, which beyond entertainment, also serves as a communicative tool deployed as a means of understanding and expressing social realities in the world around its youth performers. It focuses on the contexts of performance and thematic realization of Mchongoano. The chapter engages symbolic interactionism, or interactionism, a strand in sociological theory. This perspective has a long intellectual history, beginning with the German sociologist and economist, Max Weber and the American philosopher, George H. Mead, both of whom emphasize the subjective meaning(s) of human behaviour, social processes, and pragmatism. The chapter considers the performance of Mchongoano duels as emanating and relating to human behaviour and experiences, thus reflecting certain social realities. It also reveals that Mchongoano taunts embody social issues such as material opulence, crime, fear, and insecurity, among others.
