Speaking for the poor and oppressed: questioning the role of intellectuals in South African social movements

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dc.contributor.advisorDu Toit, Andréen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorOsborne, Carileeen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2017-01-23T07:43:36Z
dc.date.available2017-01-23T07:43:36Z
dc.date.issued2016en_ZA
dc.description.abstractThis thesis is concerned with debates around the role of intellectuals in South Africa and particularly in the question of intellectuals "speaking on behalf of the oppressed." Although such a question is foremost a response to recent debates about intellectuals in post-apartheid social movements and particularly the social movement Abahlali baseMjondolo, I anchor the discourse of "speaking on behalf of the oppressed" and its subsequent contestations in a longer historical trajectory going back to missionary ideals around civilisation, progress and trusteeship. Using a range of primary and secondary documents I trace the development of this discourse through the anti-colonial and anti-apartheid era and into post-apartheid discussions highlighting the important points of contestation. This is done by providing an initial problematization of the practice of 'speaking on behalf of others' which is subsequently linked to conceptions of the role of 'the intellectual'. Of particular importance are firstly Zygmunt Bauman's distinction between the intellectual as legislator or as interpreter related to the different between modern and post-modern conceptions of intellectual life; and secondly, Andrew Jamison and Ron Eyerman's distinction between 'intellectual in social movement' (which I translate into the idea of the allied intellectual) and movement intellectual. This thesis argues that current contestations around the role of allied intellectuals speaking for the oppressed in post-apartheid social movements show both continuities and discontinuities to earlier discourses as articulated by a range of social and liberation movements since early colonial times. It also argues that at the heart of the dilemma of intellectuals speaking for the oppressed is a contradiction between their role as legislator and as interpreter.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationOsborne, C. (2016). <i>Speaking for the poor and oppressed: questioning the role of intellectuals in South African social movements</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Political Studies. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/22881en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationOsborne, Carilee. <i>"Speaking for the poor and oppressed: questioning the role of intellectuals in South African social movements."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Political Studies, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/22881en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationOsborne, C. 2016. Speaking for the poor and oppressed: questioning the role of intellectuals in South African social movements. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Osborne, Carilee AB - This thesis is concerned with debates around the role of intellectuals in South Africa and particularly in the question of intellectuals "speaking on behalf of the oppressed." Although such a question is foremost a response to recent debates about intellectuals in post-apartheid social movements and particularly the social movement Abahlali baseMjondolo, I anchor the discourse of "speaking on behalf of the oppressed" and its subsequent contestations in a longer historical trajectory going back to missionary ideals around civilisation, progress and trusteeship. Using a range of primary and secondary documents I trace the development of this discourse through the anti-colonial and anti-apartheid era and into post-apartheid discussions highlighting the important points of contestation. This is done by providing an initial problematization of the practice of 'speaking on behalf of others' which is subsequently linked to conceptions of the role of 'the intellectual'. Of particular importance are firstly Zygmunt Bauman's distinction between the intellectual as legislator or as interpreter related to the different between modern and post-modern conceptions of intellectual life; and secondly, Andrew Jamison and Ron Eyerman's distinction between 'intellectual in social movement' (which I translate into the idea of the allied intellectual) and movement intellectual. This thesis argues that current contestations around the role of allied intellectuals speaking for the oppressed in post-apartheid social movements show both continuities and discontinuities to earlier discourses as articulated by a range of social and liberation movements since early colonial times. It also argues that at the heart of the dilemma of intellectuals speaking for the oppressed is a contradiction between their role as legislator and as interpreter. DA - 2016 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2016 T1 - Speaking for the poor and oppressed: questioning the role of intellectuals in South African social movements TI - Speaking for the poor and oppressed: questioning the role of intellectuals in South African social movements UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/22881 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/22881
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationOsborne C. Speaking for the poor and oppressed: questioning the role of intellectuals in South African social movements. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Political Studies, 2016 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/22881en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Political Studiesen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Humanitiesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherPolitical Studiesen_ZA
dc.subject.otherJustice and Transformationen_ZA
dc.titleSpeaking for the poor and oppressed: questioning the role of intellectuals in South African social movementsen_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMPhilen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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