Die hantering van identiteite in Afrikaanse voorgeskrewe romans in Suid-Afrika na apartheid : 'n kritiese evaluering = The treatment of identities in Afrikaans prescribed novels in post-apartheid South Africa : a critical appraisal

Abstract

Literature is an important source of cultural knowledge for young readers. It helps shape their perceptions of reality and teaches them what to expect from the world and the people around them. Therefore, it is important to do a communicative analysis of the literature that is prescribed for schools, in order to determine how identities are ascribed and negotiated, and how this can bear on intergroup and interpersonal relations. The conclusions can then serve to guide the selection of new books and the teaching of existing selections. In this study, the eleven novels that were prescribed in 2000 for Afrikaans First Language in Grade 12 in the nine provinces of South Africa are analysed thematically with respect to ethnicity, gender, and religion. Theories of Intercultural Communication are used to examine these thematic analyses. I conclude that the lists were indeed compiled for the purpose of transformation, and that ethnicity in particular gets awarded prominent treatment. The voices that are heard, however, belong overwhelmingly to one group, so that theirs is central to all reality, and the reality of others is seen only in relation to their reality. More or less the same applies to the aspects of gender and religion. There is also little awareness of gender issues, and gender roles are stereotypical.