The National Union of South African Students: a Case-Study of the Plight of Liberalism, 1924–77

1985 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 139-145
Author(s):  
Benjamin Kline
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Academic Needs ◽  
National Union ◽  
African Students ◽  
South Africans ◽  
History Of ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Nationalist Government

Liberalism in South Africa has had a history of importence because of its failure to adhere consistently to the belief that when the ‘loss of liberty for non-whites’ occurs, it ‘inevitably meant [the] loss of liberty for whites as well’. Instead, the predominantly English-speaking South Africans who backed this movement have attempted to promote liberal ideals while maintaining their white prerogatives, and have subsequently found the two to be ‘incompatible’.1 As a result, neither the uncompromising Afrikaner Nationalists nor the demanding Africans and revolutionaries have supported liberalism, and those South Africans in the middle have been discouraged by its vacillating nature. The National Union of South African Students is an example of a liberal organisation's inability to solve this dilemma. Initially Nusas concentrated on academic needs, following a ‘students as such’ policy, and then later transformed its ideals into a ‘students in society’ view, becoming socially active in defiance of the Nationalist Government.2

scholarly journals First-Year Students’ Views on Prescribed Book for Translation Practice: A Case Study of a South African University of Technology

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron Mnguni
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
First Year ◽  
Language Practice ◽  
South Africans ◽  
Translation Practice ◽  
University Of Technology ◽  
Cultural Experiences ◽  
Official Languages

Translation as a field of study is fairly new in South Africa because before 1994, the official languages were English and Afrikaans and everybody was expected to know and use those languages. Consequently, there is not much about translation practice that is written by South African authors. Following this, translation books from outside South Africa are generally used and prescribed, thus stifling inherent experiences, since little is written by the South Africans themselves.  A total number of 46 language practice students participated in this quantitative study. This study explored challenges encountered by first year language practice students, when using their prescribed book, at the Central University of Technology, Welkom Campus. Results indicated that students were not benefitting maximally from using the prescribed book, which is by any standard an excellent book. The socio-cultural experiences of the students were missing, thus prevent students’ from mastering the subject content better. From the data collected, it is recommended, amongst other recommendations, that a bias towards books reflecting South African experiences be prioritized as well as also allowing students to participate in making book choices.

scholarly journals MARIKANA, A PAST NEVER TRULY ESCAPED: A CRITIQUE ON THE COMMODIFICATION OF THE LEGAL SYSTEM AND THE LAW AS AN INSTRUMENT OF JUSTICE IN POST-APARTHEID SOUTH AFRICA

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vaughn Rajah
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Legal System ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
African Society ◽  
The Rule Of Law ◽  
South African Society ◽  
South Africans ◽  
Black South Africans ◽  
History Of

This article demonstrates that the Marikana tragedy was not a departure from the norm, but a continuation of state and corporate behaviour that has oppressed black South Africans for hundreds of years. This will be done through an analysis of the historically discriminatory socio-economic patterns of South African society, and how they subjugate the poor by limiting their access to legal and physical protection. These trends portray a history of commodification of the legal system. I discuss a notable documentary on the massacre, Miners Shot Down, and examine its depiction of the causes and effects of the events. The film provides no mention of the historical context of the killings, nor does it comment on many of the factors contributing to the massacre. Despite this, it succeeded in bringing the events to the attention of the broader public. I analyse the notions of justice, the rule of law and their application in South Africa as well as norms in the nation’s legal culture. Additionally, I examine the Farlam Commission, and how its procedures and conclusions hindered the course of justice in the context of our democracy. Ultimately, I demonstrate how the Marikana massacre was not a change in dynamic, but a reminder of a past we have never truly escaped.

scholarly journals Nation Building and the Construction of Identity: Xenophobia in South Africa

Refuge ◽  
2001 ◽  
pp. 4-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet E. Reilly
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
National Identity ◽  
South African ◽  
Immigration Policy ◽  
Nation Building ◽  
South Africans ◽  
Construction Of Identity ◽  
People’S Perception ◽  
History Of

This article examines the process of nation building in South Africa and its effect on the rise of xenophobia. It explores the ways in which South Africa’s efforts, since the elections of 1994, to construct a non-racial national identity have led to the exclusion of and the denial of rights to non-citizens. Looking at the history of immigration policy in South Africa, it argues that increased levels of xenophobia among South Africans represent an ever-widening gap between the country’s attempts to restructure itself constitutionally (by altering its laws) and culturally (by changing the people’s perception of what it means to be South African).

scholarly journals Structural Violence against Women in the Pentecostal Movement: Proposals for a South African Deconstruction Strategy

2019 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marius Nel
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Violence Against Women ◽  
Structural Violence ◽  
Women's Ministry ◽  
Pentecostal Movement ◽  
History Of ◽  
Pentecostal Churches ◽  
Apostolic Faith Mission

The phenomenon of discrimination against women within Pentecostal churches in terms of ministry and leadership is investigated to propose a strategy for deconstructing such structural violence. The violence is described in terms of a case study, the history of a prominent South African Pentecostal denomination (Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa) that initially recognised the involvement of women in all forms of ministry; subsequently in the 1940s refusing their ministry as preachers and pastors, and eventually at the end of the 1970s offering them the same ministerial privileges as for males. Their recognition is, however, characterised by a practical non-application of a church order that in effect represents the commitment of violence against women. It is argued that the change in perspectives of women’s ministry and leadership is hermeneutical in nature. To deconstruct it would need revisiting Pentecostalism’s original hermeneutic as well as restoring its restorationist urge of egalitarianism and inclusiveness.

scholarly journals Afrikanerliberalisme in die tydperk 1775 - 1975 – die interpretasies van GD Scholtz en H Giliomee

2011 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
P De Klerk
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
Eighteenth Century ◽  
Intellectual History ◽  
South African ◽  
Political Thought ◽  
Political Ideology ◽  
South Africans ◽  
Political Ideas ◽  
English Speaking

Two historians, GD Scholtz and H Giliomee, have written extensively about liberal political thought among Afrikaners during the period 1775-1975. Their interpretations of the influence of liberalism on Afrikaner political thought differ from one another in some respects. Scholtz acknowledges the influence of the political ideas of the Enlightenment on the Cape Patriot movement of the late eighteenth century, but does not regard these ideas as a form of liberalism. He views liberalism as a political ideology alien to the Afrikaners, that was introduced to South Africa in the early 1800s by British officials and missionaries. Since the middle of the nineteenth century the main exponents of liberal political thought in South Africa were British colonists and their descendants. There were always a few Afrikaners with liberal political ideas, but they were strongly influenced by British culture or by English-speaking South Africans. Giliomee, however, is of the opinion that there were already Afrikaners with liberal ideas at the beginning of the nineteenth century. It appears from his study that, although none of the major Afrikaner political leaders from the eighteenth century until the present can be described as a liberal, in the course of two centuries a number of politicians and intellectuals with an Afrikaans background played an important role in various liberal political movements and had a significant influence on the development of Afrikaner political thought. Although Scholtz and Giliomee have both made an important contribution to research on Afrikaner liberal political thought, it is clear that more research should lead to a better understanding of this phenomenon.Keywords: South African Historiography; Afrikaner Political Thought; GD Scholtz; H Giliomee; Liberalism; Democracy; Cape Patriot Movement; Cape Franchise; Segregation; Apartheid Disciplines: Political History; Intellectual History; Political Philosophy

scholarly journals In search of historical consciousness: An investigation into young South Africans' knowledge and understanding of 'their' national histories

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate Angier
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Relative Weight ◽  
Historical Consciousness ◽  
Sociocultural Factors ◽  
South Africans ◽  
Intended Curriculum ◽  
History Curriculum ◽  
School History ◽  
History Of

This study reports the findings of an investigation into young South Africans' knowledge and understanding of their national past derived from narrative accounts of South African history written by 27 university students who had recently completed the national school history curriculum. Analysis of these narratives indicates two fundamental differences in the way the history of South Africa is told, in terms of emphasis (the relative weight assigned to different periods and people) and of agency (who 'did' and who was 'done to'). These differences point to the continued importance of racial identity as a factor in the formation of a national historical consciousness in post-apartheid South Africa. The highly selective emplotment of South Africa's past by the students highlights the importance of sociocultural factors in the development of young people's historical consciousness, a conclusion that has implications for classroom pedagogy. These findings suggest that unless the historical understanding with which students come to the classroom is engaged and is complicated through evidence-based historical enquiry then neither the 'disciplinary' nor 'social justice' aims of the intended curriculum will be realized.

New Social Distance Data of English-Speaking South Africans

1977 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 247-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick C. L. Heaven ◽  
Hennie J. Groenewald
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Social Distance ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Distance Scale ◽  
African Students ◽  
South Africans ◽  
Social Distance Scale ◽  
Distance Data ◽  
English Speaking

Bogardus' social distance scale measuring attitudes toward Blacks, Coloreds, Asians, and whites was administered to 55 white English-speaking South African students. Compared to previous studies, results indicate a marked shift toward closer social contact on the part of the respondents.

Internal-External Control among South African Students — A Cross-Cultural Study

1979 ◽  
Vol 9 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 145-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Devi Moodley-Rajab ◽  
R.D. Ramkissoon
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Group ◽  
South African ◽  
Group Membership ◽  
External Control ◽  
Control Scale ◽  
African Students ◽  
South Africans ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Ethnic Group Membership ◽  
The Relationship

To investigate the relationship between internal versus external locus of control, sex, and ethnic group membership, three groups of university students (Indians, English-speaking White South Africans and Blacks) were compared on their responses to the Rotter I-E Control Scale. The hypothesis that a belief in internal versus external control is significantly related to ethnic group membership was rejected but it was confirmed for the variable of sex.

The Actuary in South Africa

1957 ◽  
Vol 14 (04) ◽  
pp. 348-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. E. de Smidt ◽  
H. Schermann ◽  
D. W. Williams ◽  
G. Rodger
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
South African ◽  
South Africans ◽  
The Third ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
History Of

The history of the actuarial profession in South Africa starts, as far as is known, during the last decade of the nineteenth century when three actuaries arrived in the Cape Colony from the United Kingdom. Two of these took up positions with the two South African life offices which were then in existence and the third became Government Actuary to the Cape Colony. By the time the Union of South Africa was established in 1910, four more actuaries had arrived from the United Kingdom, and a further four had arrived by 1920. Some of these gentlemen established permanent homes in this country, while others returned overseas after varying periods of time. It was no doubt due to these early beginnings that the actuarial homes of South African actuaries are today London and Edinburgh.The first South African-born actuary qualified as a Fellow of the Faculty in 1921, and since that time increasing numbers of South Africans have become qualified, mostly as Fellows of the Faculty.

scholarly journals Gender Inequalities in the Workplace: Case Study of South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Gender Equality ◽  
South African ◽  
Gender Inequalities ◽  
Equal Opportunities ◽  
The South ◽  
South Africans ◽  
Women In The Workplace ◽  
The Government

The South African government implemented different legislative mechanisms in an attempt to address gender equality in the workplace, discrimination, and empowering women. To review whether there has been any progress after implementing these legislative mechanisms, this paper empirically analyzes the advancement of gender equality in the South African workplace as of 2020. It also provides an overview of different legislative mechanisms implemented by the government of South Africa as an endeavor to achieve gender equality in the workplace and equal opportunities for all regardless of gender. The main objective of this paper is to review gender equality progress in the South African workplace and a qualitative research method has been used to analyze different gender inequalities. Lastly, the paper provides an overview of gender equality analysis in different occupational levels in the South African workplace. The research shows that regardless of the South African government’s different legislative mechanisms to address gender equality, progress is still gloomy as discrimination against women in the workplace continues and the men remain dominant. The data analyses conclude that progress in addressing gender equality has been inert, delaying equal opportunities for all South Africans.

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