Thesis (MA (Afrikaans and Dutch))--University of Stellenbosch, 2003. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doelstelling met hierdie studie is om die verskyning en ontvangs van Afrikaanse dig-debuutbundels teen die millenniumwending met behulp van die polisisteemteorie te bestudeer. Dié teorie behels dat die literatuur as 'n sisteem tussen ander sisteme in die samelewing beskryf word. In hierdie geval word die sisteemgrens tot die Afrikaanse poësie beperk. Die resepsies van die ses debuutbundels wat in 1999–2000 verskyn het en wat vir die Ingrid Jonker-prys in aanmerking geneem is, word ondersoek. Binne die polisisteemverband word 'n studie onderneem na die marginalisering van die Afrikaanse poësie; dít terwyl die poësie as sodanig reeds 'n gemarginaliseerde genre is. Dié marginalisering is grootliks die gevolg van ekonomiese oorwegings – hoofstroomuitgewers dink twee maal daaroor voordat hulle 'n digbundel uitgee, veral 'n debuutdigbundel. Terwyl die poësie in die orale vorm toenemend gewild blyk te wees, is daar nie veel publikasie-moontlikhede vir debuutdigters nie. Hierdie toestand gaan veral die opkomende digters nadelig tref. In hoofstuk 1 word 'n uiteensetting van die studie gegee. Die stand van sake in die Afrikaan-se poësiesisteem teen die millenniumwending word voorlopig beskryf. Die doel van die navorsing, die afbakening van die studie-objek en die hoofstukindeling van die tesis word uiteengesit. Hoofstuk 2 bied 'n uiteensetting van die polisisteemteorie, wat gegrond is op die werk van die Russiese Formaliste. Verder word aandag bestee aan 'n omskrywing van die poli-sisteem, die struktuur van die polisisteem en die toepassingsmoontlikhede van die teorie. 'n Teoretiese oorsig van kanonisering in die literatuur word in hoofstuk 3 onderneem. In dié hoofstuk word die verskillende definisies van die konsep kanon gegee, die verskillende soorte kanons en die proses van kanonvorming word bespreek. Laastens word die invloede van kanonisering vermeld. Die Afrikaanse literêre veld is die fokuspunt in hoofstuk 4, waar die poësie as gemargina-liseerde genre, die voorkoms van die Afrikaanse poësieveld, die Ingrid Jonker-prys en die rol van die uitgewer bespreek word. Die vraag na die afwesigheid van die "nuwe stemme" in die letterkunde word ook ondersoek. Die toekoms van die Afrikaanse poësie word verder onder die soeklig geplaas. In hoofstuk 5 word 'n studie onderneem van die resepsies van die ses debuutbundels van 1999–2000. Die resensent as kritikus en die taak van resensente word eerstens ondersoek. Kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe ondersoeke word onderneem ten einde na te gaan welke van die debutante moontlik die kanondrempel kan oorsteek. In die slothoofstuk, hoofstuk 6, word die bevindinge van die ondersoek saamgevat ten einde die gesprek oor die Afrikaanse poësie verder te voer. Verdere moontlike navorsingsterreine word uitgestippel. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this study is to examine the publication and reception of first volumes of poetry at the end of the twentieth century by means of the polysystem theory. This theory maintains that literature should be considered as a system within other systems in society. In this case the systemic boundary is limited to Afrikaans poetry. The reception of six first volumes of poetry that appeared between 1999 and 2000 and were taken into account for the Ingrid Jonker Prize is investigated. A study is made of the reception of Afrikaans poetry within the polysystemic context and in the light of the fact that poetry is already a marginalised genre. This marginalisation is largely the result of economic pressures – mainstream publishers think twice before publishing a volume of poetry, especially a first volume. While poetry, particularly oral poetry, seems to be increasingly popular, there are few publishing opportunities for new poets. This situation is going to affect especially upcoming poets negatively. Chapter 1 gives an outline of the study. The state of affairs in the Afrikaans poetry system at the end of the twentieth century is described briefly. The aim of the research, the delimitation of the field of study, and the organisation of the chapters of the thesis are set out. Chapter 2 offers an explanation of polysystems theory, which has its foundations in Russian Formalism. The chapter also describes the structure of a polysystem and discusses the possible applications of the theory. Chapter 3 presents a theoretical overview of the process of canonisation in literature. Different definitions of the concept of the canon are given and the process and effects of canonisation are considered. Chapter 4 focuses on Afrikaans literature, including discussion of poetry as a marginalised genre, the future of Afrikaans poetry, the Ingrid Jonker Prize, and the role of the publisher. The issue of the absence of "new voices" in literature is also investigated, as well as the future of Afrikaans poetry. Chapter 5 examines the reception of six first volumes of poetry between 1999 and 2000. The reviewer as literary critic and the function of reviewing are considered first. Qualitative and quantitative studies are undertaken in order to determine which of the first volumes might be incorporated into the canon. Chapter 6 draws together the findings of the investigation in order to extend the discussion on Afrikaans poetry. Possible areas of research are suggested.

This study lays a foundation for the empirical mapping of the material production of Afrikaans fiction from 1990 to 2005. The primary research question, namely, how to map Afrikaans fiction production during this period, has been answered through both descriptive-qualitative and statistical-quantitative empirical research. In the first, contextual descriptive component, qualitative research is used to describe the context within which Afrikaans fiction production takes place. The impact of transformation shifts on the production and producer landscapes are mapped through a description of the publishing system. Within this system, book production is regarded as an institution that has inter-systemic relationships with other sub-systems, including institutional contexts (such as media, cultural, literary, educational and library sub-systems), as well as broader societal contexts (such as political, economic and technological contexts). Transformation shifts in the producer landscape (including the establishment, conglomeration, mergers, take-overs and closures of publishing houses) are described through profiling the relevant producers (including publishing houses and other kinds of producers) who contribute to this landscape. In the second, statistical empirical component, quantitative research is used to sketch the contours of Afrikaans fiction production through the construction of production and producer profiles. On a theoretical level, the study follows a sociological and institutional approach to empirical literary studies. This study has been positioned within the developing field of book and publishing studies, specifically within the parameters of the epistemology of production statistics. Itamar Even-Zohar’s poly-system theory and Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of the field of cultural production form the theoretical framework. Several methodological instruments were developed for the purpose of this study, including a new model of the publishing system, a database of production statistics (the Production Database of Afrikaans Fiction – PDAF), and two typologies of kinds of producers and fiction publications according to which both producer and production categories can be distinguished. The publishing system, the PDAF and the two typologies have been proven useful instruments for the mapping of book production. These instruments will contribute to the fields of book and publishing studies through their application to research on other production categories. The PDAF is a useful resource for measuring the growth and diversity of Afrikaans fiction production. The study concludes that Afrikaans fiction production between 1990 and 2005 was incisively influenced by transformation shifts. Publishing in this field became more challenging in that Afrikaans fiction production had to wean itself from the artificial institutional privilege and substantial state support it had enjoyed and was forced to become economically independent. By 2005, there were far fewer significant producers of Afrikaans fiction in the producer landscape than in 1990. In some production categories, fiction production has shrunk, while, in others, it has grown. Overall, the production profile of Afrikaans fiction has greatly diversified, with Afrikaans fiction appearing in a wide variety of production categories. Afrikaans fiction remains the most diverse and best-developed indigenous tradition of fiction production. The challenge for future case studies is to investigate the relationships between production patterns and specific transformation shifts in the publishing system in terms of specific production categories. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Information Science / unrestricted