The aim of this study is to conduct an investigation from an anthropological perspective,
on the impact that post-apartheid South Africa has had on the Afrikanerâs judgement of
value, as well as on his identity-formation. Afrikaner values comprise therefore the
central theme of three of the main articles, while narratives, myths, religion and identity
represent the focus of incidence of the other two articles.
Up to and including 1990, an official Afrikaner identity existed, which was largely
determined by a grand narrative that was constructed around church membership, an
association with political power and party membership, as well as membership of
cultural organisations such as the Broederbond. After 1994, the loss of this official
identity, has marginalised Afrikaners and plunged them into an existential crisis. In this
regard, this study will point out two factors, namely that the Afrikanersâ emotional and
intellectual ties with the Afrikaans culture, churches, politics and the Afrikaans language
in the post-Apartheid dispensation are in a process of changing, even becoming
attenuated; that Afrikaners are increasingly pursuing a new, cosmopolitan identity and
way of life.
Although commentators differ regarding the question as to what effect the post-apartheid
dispensation had, and is still having on Afrikaners, it is undoubtedly true that the
political and social transformations that South Africa has undergone since 1994 have
indeed been far-reaching in nature and that these transformations largely took the great
majority of Afrikaners by surprise. Afrikaners clearly were not prepared for the changes
that ensued, with the result that after a period of fifteen years they are being confronted
with the dire necessity to reflect on their values, their solidarity, their identity, as well as
their role and place in the ânewâ South Africa.
Recent anthropological information on the Afrikaner is limited â Afrikaans
anthropologists have largely neglected the study of the changes that the culture and
identity of Afrikaners have undergone since 1994. As a result, the contributions of
Afrikaans-speaking anthropologists to the discourses surrounding current issues that
affect the Afrikaner (religion, morality, identity, narratives and myths), and the
characteristics of the so-called ânewâ Afrikaner, are relatively limited. In this regard the broad aim of the current study is to conduct a comprehensive ethnographic investigation
into the current tendencies in Afrikaner culture and identity. Afrikaner values would thus
be used as the point of departure from which the ethnographic material will be explored.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:ufs/oai:etd.uovs.ac.za:etd-07272010-091003 |
| Date | 27 July 2010 |
| Creators | van der Merwe, Jan Petrus |
| Contributors | Prof PA Erasmus |
| Publisher | University of the Free State |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en-uk |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.uovs.ac.za//theses/available/etd-07272010-091003/restricted/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to University Free State or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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