Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis contains the results of an investigation into constructions of cultural identity
in recent works of short fiction written in Afrikaans. The investigation was conducted
within the framework of postcolonial literary theory, with specific reference to the work
ofHomi Bhabha, Stuart Hall, Gayatri Spivak, Vijay Mishra and Bob Hodge. The
conceptual apparatus concerning postcolonial reconstruction of cultural identities in
reaction to the discourse of colonialism were applied to certain Afrikaans short stories to
establish to what extent these texts could be considered a '<writing back" to the colonial
discourse of Afrikaner nationalism and apartheid. The research focused on texts that had
been published after 1994, being the date of the first democratic elections in South
Africa, but also investigated their relation to certain literary traditions that preceded this
date. From the Afrikaans short stories that were read within a postcolonial framework, it
could be concluded that Afrikaans literature after 1994 could still be read in terms of
what Mishra and Hodge (1994) called a fused postcolonial, a typification that according
to Viljoen (1996) was applicable to the Afrikaans literature of before 1994. The cultural
identity that was constructed in these texts showed similarities with the two moments of
cultural reconstruction that Hall (1992) mentioned, namely either a strategic essentialism
of the colonized subject or a hybridized cultural identity as the result of an ongoing,
dynamic process of negotiation in a Third Space as Bhabha (1994) pointed out. A
discourse of resistance against new forms of cultural imperialism, arising from a broader
disillusion with the perceived dystopia of post-colonial South Africa, could also be
inferred from certain Afrikaans short stories that have appeared since 1994. As far as a
renewed undermining of imperialising tendencies is concerned, these texts can therefore
be considered a continuation of the dissidence that has been characteristic of Afrikaans
literature for several decades. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie proefskrif bevat die resultate van 'n ondersoek na konstruksies van kulturele
identiteit in onlangse kortverhale in Afrikaans. Die ondersoek is gedoen binne die
raamwerk van die postkoloniale literêre teorie, met spesifieke verwysing na die werk van
Homi Bhabha, Stuart Hall, Gayatri Spivak, Vijay Mishra en Bob Hodge. Konseptuele
apparatuur rakende postkoloniale herkonstruksie van kulturele identiteit in reaksie op
diskoerse van kolonialisme, is toegepas op bepaalde Afrikaanse kortverhale om vas te
stel in watter mate hierdie tekste beskou kon word as 'n terugskrywing teen die koloniale
diskoers van Afrikanernasionalisme en apartheid. Die navorsing het gefokus op tekste
wat gepubliseer is na 1994, die datum van die eerste demokratiese verkiesings in Suid-
Afrika, maar het ook hul verhouding ondersoek tot sekere literêre tradisies wat hierdie
datum voorafgegaan het. Uit die Afrikaanse kortverhale wat gelees is binne 'n
postkoloniale raamwerk, is daar tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat die Afrikaanse
letterkunde na 1994 steeds gelees kan word in terme van wat Mishra en Hodge (1994) 'n
"saamgestelde postkolonialisme" genoem het, 'n tipering wat volgens Viljoen (1996)
toepasbaar was op die Afrikaanse letterkunde van voor 1994. Die kulturele identiteit wat
gekonstrueer is in hierdie tekste toon ooreenkomste met die twee momente van kulturele
herkonstruksie waarna Hall (1992) verwys, naamlik enersyds 'n strategiese essensialisme
van die gekoloniseerde subjek en andersyds 'n gehibridiseerde kulturele identiteit as die
gevolg van 'n voortgaande, dinamiese proses van onderhandeling in wat Bhabha (1994)
'n Derde Ruimte genoem het. 'n Diskoers van weerstand teen wat ervaar word as nuwe
vorme van kulturele imperialisme, voortspruitend uit 'n breër ontnugtering met wat
beskou word as 'n distopiese post-koloniale Suid-Afrika, kon ook afgelei word uit sekere
Afrikaanse kortverhale wat sedert 1994 verskyn het. Wat betref 'n hernieude
ondermyning van imperialiserende tendense kan hierdie tekste daarom gesien word as 'n
voortsetting van die tradisie van weerstand wat die Afrikaanse literatuur dekades lank
reeds kenmerk.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/51879 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Wasserman, Herman,1969- |
| Contributors | Viljoen, L., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences . Dept. of Afrikaans & Dutch. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | af_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 364 p. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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