Afrikanerdoom? : negotiating Afrikaner identity in post-apartheid South Africa

The apartheid regime monopolised Afrikanerdom and institutionalised a specific Christian-nationalist Afrikaner identity. In post-apartheid South Africa this identity is no longer sanctioned by the state, and central elements of the identity have become illegitimate - most importantly the racial aspect. It is now up to the individual Afrikaner to negotiate this new space of identifications opened up by the end of apartheid order. Through different kinds of post-structuralist theory this thesis investigates some of the ways in which white Afrikaans-speakers position themselves in this new context. For some the new South Africa means exciting new possibilities but others experience it as a loss of freedom. The analysis pivots around the separatist 'volkstaat town' of Orania, where we find some of the central problems facing Afrikaners in general in terms of identity formation. It is argued that although Orania is radical in its claims, it is nonetheless one of the actors in the discursive battles of redefining Afrikaner identity. However, in the context of radical change and indecision, it is but one among many other attempts of redefining Afrikanerdom, many competing voices are heard and boundaries of identity are constantly contested and redrawn.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Social Anthropology

Year dc:date.issued

2000

Author dc:creator

• Vestergaard, Mads

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Sichone, Owen

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9736

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/9736