Browsing by Author "Visser, Nic"

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    A study of indigenous children's literature in South Africa
    (1995) Van Vuuren, Kathrine; Visser, Nic
    Whilst an accepted area of investigation in most other English speaking countries, indigenous children's literature is a relatively new area of academic study in South Africa. Traditionally, South Africa children's literature has been targeted for a white middle class audience. In addition, most of the fiction for children that was available in South Africa, with the exception of fiction in Afrikaans, tended to be imported children's literature, which meant that there was little by way of indigenous children's literature being produced. However, since the mid-1970s there has been a considerable increase in the local production of children's literature, much of which in the last five years has been intended for a wider and more comprehensive audience and market. This study considers various issues relevant to the field of children's literature in South Africa, through both traditional means of research as well as through a series of interviews with people involved in the field itself The focus of this dissertation is a sociological study of the process whereby children's literature is disseminated in South Africa. International theories of children's literature are briefly considered in sq far as they relate to indigenous children's literature. Of particular interest to this study are current thoughts about racial and gender stereotypes in children's literature, as well as the recently developed theory of 'antibias' children's literature. The manner in which people's attitudes to and about children's literature are shaped is explored in detail. Traditional methods of publishing and distributing children's literature, as well as the current and uniquely South African award system are considered. The need to broaden the scope of current publishing methods is highlighted and the ways in which publishers foresee themselves doing this is considered. The limitations of current methods of distribution are highlighted, and some more innovative approaches, some of which are currently being used in other parts of Southern Africa, are suggested. The gap between the 'black' and the 'white' markets are considered, and possible methods of overcoming this divide are considered. The indigenous award system is considered in relation to international award systems, and criticisms of the South African award system are discussed. The issue of whether or not children should read indigenous children's literature is considered. The debate about this issue centres around a belief in the importance of children having something with which to identify when they read, as opposed to a belief in the culturally and ideologically isolating effects of providing children with mainly indigenous children's literature to read. Finally, the current belief in children's literature as a means of bridging gaps in South African society is considered through a study of three socially aware genres- namely, folktales, historical fiction and socially aware youth fiction. By way of conclusion, some of the issues raised in the body of this study are highlighted and discussed.