Issued also as thesis, Utrecht. / Bibliography: p. [248]-264.

This study examines Agaat (2004), the second novel in the oeuvre of Marlene van Niekerk, as both a postcolonial text and a farm novel. Firstly a theoretical perspective is given on postcolonialism, with specific reference to typical phenomena in Afrikaans postcolonial literature. Subsequently, a short historical overview is given of the Afrikaans farm novel by distinguishing between "normative" farm novels and "contesting" farm novels. Typical characteristics of the Afrikaans farm novel are also discussed. By discussing three key aspects of Marlene van Niekerk's Agaat, I demonstrate why Agaat can be seen as a postcolonial text and how this novel differs from earlier Afrikaans farm novels. The first aspect is the representation of coloured people within the household, specifically focussing on Agaat Lourier's powerful role as worker for the De Wet family on Grootmoedersdrift, as well as the hierarchical shift of Agaat's position on the farm from worker to owner of the farm after Milla de Wet's death. In Agaat (2004) the coloured worker is given a voice, something that did not readily occur in earlier farm novels in the first half of the twentieth century (Coetzee, 2000: 2). An important question that receives attention in this study, is how the identity of Agaat is formed by Milla who trains Agaat to behave in a certain way. Does Agaat lose her identity when she is colonised by Milla mimicking Milla's behaviour, and does she then become a product of Milla becoming "almost the same, but not quite" (Bhabha, 1994: 86)? The second key aspect deals with the role and representation of women characters in Agaat (2004). Here attention is paid to Agaat and Milla who jointly rule the farm and its inhabitants resulting in a constant power struggle between these two women. In Agaat (2004) patriarchal authority is undermined and the relationship between Milla and Agaat, as Neil Cochrane (2005: 216) points out, can be seen as a replica of the relationship between the coloniser (Milla) and the colonised (Agaat). The third key aspect focuses on land and landownership, by referring to relevant literature such as Ampie Coetzee's 'n Hele os vir 'n ou broodmes. Grond en die plaasnarratief sedert 1595 (2000). The issue of land ownership is foregrounded in Agaat (2004), as in lM Coetzee's Disgrace (1999), when Agaat becomes the owner of the farm after Jakkie (Milla's son) returns to Canada where he works as an ethnomusicologist. With my focus on the three aspects mentioned above I assess Marlene van Niekerk's contribution to the development of the Afrikaans farm novel within a postcolonial context. / Thesis (M.A.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2006.

Issued also as thesis, Utrecht. / Bibliography: p. [248]-264.

Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2008. / Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.

Text in Afrikaans / In die proefskrif word gepoog om die Namibies-Afrikaanse literatuur wat gepubliseer is sedert die twintigerjare (met die verskyning van die eerste Afrikaanse gedigte in Afrikaanse koerante) tot met die onafhanklikwording van die land in Maart 1990, bymekaar te bring, en aan te toon hoe die land en al sy mense daarin na vore kom. Daar is hoofsaaklik gekonsentreer op werke wat by gevestigde Suid-Afrikaanse uitgewerye verskyn het. Altesaam 146 bundels prosa, 35 bundels poesie, twee dramas, en 46 gedigte wat in koerante en tydskrifte verskyn het, geskryf deur 92 skrywers en uitgegee deur 26 uitgewerye-, word in die proefskrif geidentifiseer en bespreek. Talle kenmerke van die land en sy mense vind neerslag in bogenoemde werke. Die meeste werke speel in die noorde van die land en die Namib-woestyn af, en die inheemse bevolkingsgroep wat die sterkste na vore kom, is die Boesmans; klem word veral geplaas op hul gewoontes en gebruike. Die hoofkarakters in die verhale is oorwegend plattelandse blanke boeremense. Die tipiese landsomstandighede sedert die einde van die vorige eeu, toe bloedige stamgevegte in die land gewoed het, tot en met die grensoorlog wat met onafhanklikwording beeindig is, word in die literatuur gereflekteer. Wat die invloed van die land op die mens betref, is dit die ontbering en lyding, maar veral die geestelike verryking wat die land die mens hied, wat na vore kom. In die algemeen openbaar die skrywers 'n oorweldigende positiewe gesindheid teenoor die land en sy mense, hoewel ander nuanserings van gesindheid ook voorkom / In this dissertation an attempt is made to bring together Namibian-Afrikaans literature published since the twenties (when the first Afrikaans poems appeared in the Afrikaans papers), until the independence of the country in March 1990, and to illustrate how the country and its people come to the fore as revealed in the literature. Stress is given mainly to works that were published by established South African publishers. A total of 146 anthologies of narrative prose, 35 anthologies of poetry, two dramatic works, and 46 poems which appeared in papers and periodicals, written by 92 authors and published by 26 publishers, are identified and discussed. Hundreds of features of the country and its people are revealed in the abovementioned literature. Most works take place in the northern regions and the Namib desert and the indigenous people that predominate are the Bushmen; stress is mainly laid on their customs and their habits. The main characters in the narratives are to a large extent white rural people. The literature reflects the typical political circumstances of the country since the end of the previous century when bloody tribal conflicts raged, until the border war that ended with independence. As far as the influence of the country on the people is concerned, it is mainly the hardships and suffering, but above all the spiritual enrichment that the country offered that are ascertained. In general the authors reveal an overwhelmingly positive attitude towards the country and its people / English Studies / D.Litt. et Phil. (Afrikaans)

M.A. (Afrikaans) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Litt. et Phil. (German) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Ed. (Higher Didactics) / Immigrant pupils cause problems for the education authorities of the host countries, especially in the learning of the official language or languages of the countries concerned. The aim of this research is to ascertain whether the teachers who fill the posts for special language instruction Afrikaans Second Language are adequately trained and prepared for their task. Information was gathered by means of questionnaires and enquiries made at teacher training institutions ...

Chapter One is an historical review of the rejection of colonial domination in various states in Africa, before the spotlight was directed at the relationships between the "white" and "black" inhabitants of South Africa. The numerous problems which arise out of this inter-relationship can best be ascribed to the identity crisis which "white" and "black" experience in a multi-lingual country. The South African society needs to normalise its relations with cultural and language groups by means of communication. Chapter Two reviews the historical background, linguistic characteristics, the use, functions and the distribution of the ten most important languages of which the South African community consists. The diversity of these languages generates and complicates the debate which currently prevails concerning a language policy for a future non-racial South Africa. The geographical, social, historical and cultural factors which are conducive and non-conducive to language distribution are high-lighted in Chapter Three. In a changing South Africa, where affirmative actions are being insisted on, it is expected that the current privileged position of Afrikaans will be placed under political pressure. A painful process of self-examination by Afrikaans-speaking Afrikaners - one of the major role-players in the current controversy concerning the continued existence and status of Afrikaans in a "postApartheid era" - has been precipitated. Chapter Four looks at how the "white", "coloured", "black" and "Indian" Afrikaans-speaking Afrikaners' mother tongue has evolved to its present status. The arguments for and against, viewpoints of, and pleas for the re-unification of Afrikaans-speaking Afrikaners to a larger single power base is emphasized. The possible future status and functions of Afrikaans insofar as its present status, functions and attitudes are concerned, are extrapolated in Chapter Five. The viewpoint concerning a possible scenario for the above-mentioned matters as expressed by a wide spectrum of South African society - academics, cultural groupings, political leaders, non-mother-tongue speakers of Afrikaans - is evaluated. A scenario of the possible role of Afrikaans in a "post-Apartheid era" in South Africa is sketched in Chapter 6. The conclusion is that the Western culture as understood by the black man, differs in more than one way from the perception of the white man. First and foremost, the acceptance of and respect for the languages and cultures of all fellow South Africans is the first step towards seeing all South Africans as being Africans. / Opsomming: Hoofstuk Een is 'n historiese oorsig van hoe die verwerping van koloniale oorheersing elders in Afrika diekontaken verhouding tussen die "wit" en "swart" inwoners van Suid-Afrika onder die soeklig geplaas het. Die talle probleme wat uit die kontaksituasie spruit, kan gereduseer word tot die identiteitskrisis wat "wit" en "swart" in 'n multitalige land beleef. Die Suid-Afrikaanse gemeenskap het In dringende behoefte aan die normalisering van die verhoudings, vera! deur middel van kommunikasie, tussen die kulturele- en taleverskeidenheid. In Hoofstuk Twee word daar gekyk na die historiese agtergrond, linguistiese eienskappe, gebruik en funksies en die verspreiding van die tien vemaamste tale waaruit die Suid-Afrikaanse talegemeenskap bestaan. Die diversiteit van tale genereer en kompliseer die debat wat tans oor 'n taalbeleid vir 'n toekomstige nierassige Suid-Afrika gevoer word. Die geografiese, sosiale, historiese en kulturele faktore wat taalverspreiding bevorderof teenwerk, word in Hoofstuk Drie belig. In 'n veranderende Suid-Afrika, waar op regstellende aksies aangedring word, kan daar verwag word dat Afrikaans as gevolg van sy bevoorregte posisie onder politieke druk geplaas sal word. Vir die Afrikaanssprekende Afrikaners, as een van die hoofrolspelers in die polemiek oor die voortbestaan en status van Afrikaans in 'n "post-Apartheidsera", het dit 'n pynlike proses van selfondersoek gebring. In Hoofstuk Vier word daar gekyk hoe die "blanke", "anderskleurige", "swart" en "Asiatiese" Afrikaanssprekende Afrikaner sy moedertaal tot op hede ervaar het. Die argumente vir en teen, sienings van, en pleidooie vir 'n hereniging van Afrikaanssprekende Afrikaners tot 'n groter mags basis word belig. Die moontlike toekomstige status en funksies van Afrikaans word in Hoofstuk Vyfvanuit die huidige status, funksies en houdings geprojekteer. Die standpunte oor bogenoemde sake word vanuit 'n wye spektmm van akademici, kultuurgroeperinge, politieke leiers sowel as niemoedertaal-sprekers van Afrikaans van die talegemeenskap van die RSA op 'n moontlike scenario gefokus. ii 'n Scenario -oefening van die moontlike rol van Afrikaans in 'n "post-Apartheidsera" in Suid-Afrika word in Hoofstuk Ses geskets. Daar word tot die gevolgtrekking geraak. dat die Westerse kultuur, soos verinnerlik deur die swart man, in belangrike opsigte van die van die wit man verskil. Daarom is die aanvaarding van en respek vir aIle Afrikane as mede-Suid-Afrikaners die eerste stap om te verseker dat die Afrikaanssprekende Afrikaners se taal en kultuur gerespekteer sal word.