Inside the abattoir: understanding the religious and cultural dimensions of the experiences of Muslim, Jewish, and secular slaughterers in South Africa

ABSTRACT

Approximately 11 million animals are slaughtered annually in South Africa. This study aimed to explore the experiences of slaughterers working in abattoirs to better address their emotional and physical challenges and how they deal with them. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 participants: 10 halaal, two kosher, and 12 secular slaughterers in 11 different religious and secular abattoirs from Western Cape, South Africa. The participants were all men aged between 25 and 67 years old. The interview texts were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The results revealed the emotional and physical toll these men experienced because of their work in slaughtering animals in abattoirs. The study highlighted the dimensions of religion and culture involved in their work, as many men framed their work in terms of religion, culture, and community obligation.

KEYWORDS:

• Qualitative research
• abattoir
• slaughterhouse
• religion
• culture

Acknowledgements

Thank you to the men who participated in our study and spoke freely about their lives. This research would not be possible without them.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. This paper draws on the dataset of a wider study which included the spouses and managers of slaughterers; however, this paper focuses specifically on the lived experiences of slaughterers working in the abattoir.

2. Masemola, van Aardt, and Coetzee (2012) suggested using these income intervals in South Africa to identify socioeconomic class.

3. Although Luzuko is a Black African IsiXhosa man and holds traditional African beliefs, he is still described as a secular slaughterer in this paper. The African ritual of slaughtering animals is performed to mark certain occasions, such as a funeral or celebration, and is not conducted in a religiously sanctioned abattoir for the purposes of everyday meat consumption. However, Luzuko brings the same respect and reverence that he learnt growing up attending ritual slaughters when he works in the abattoir.

Additional information

Funding

The South African National Research Foundation (NRF) is thanked for its funding.