This dissertation provides an analysis of the Agenda construction of South
African Feminism(s). Agenda is a feminist, peer-reviewed SAPSE journal that
was launched as a publication in 1987 in South Africa. The Journal provides a
forum for a number of issues: the most important being the representation of
women's voices towards transforming unequal gender relations; and women's
unequal position in society, their visibility, struggles and problems in relation to
gender inequalities. The Journal also uses a format that encompasses creative
writing and original research that is intended to be accessible to a broad
readership. Over the years, the Journal has published broadly on issues ranging
from health, violence, sexuality, the media, poverty, labour, HIV/AIDS, rights,
sustainable development, citizenship, etc. This dissertation analyses how some
of these themes have been addressed by Agenda in terms of editorial content
and the subsequent impact these choices have had on creating a uniquely South
African Feminism. To determine the 'impact', the study adopts a content analysis
of the Journal, (Neuman, 1997). The content of the Journals, especially during
Apartheid (pre-1994) reflects a focus on the lived experiences of South African
women. It is hypothesised that Agenda has shifted its focus since Issue 20 (the
first Issue of 1994 aptly titled "Politics, Power and Democracy"). The argument in
the dissertation demonstrates that with the inclusion of South African women,
Agenda has steadily and consistently developed a discourse that is collaborative
and participatory, reflecting a hybrid of various earlier strands of Western originating
feminisms (such as radical, liberal, Marxist, socialist). This new discourse could be labelled South African Feminism(s), and such a conclusion is
investigated through close analyses of selected themes and issues covered by
the Journal copy. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:ukzn/oai:http://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za:10413/7675 |
| Date | January 2008 |
| Creators | Moothoo-Padayachie, Nitasha. |
| Contributors | Reddy, Vasu. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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