Media, Identity and the Public Sphere in Post-Apartheid South AfricaAbebe Zegeye, Richard Legé Harris The essays in this collection reveal that the social and political development of post-apartheid South Africa depends to an important degree on the evolving cultural, social and political identities of its diverse population and on the role of the media of mass communications in the country's new multicultural democracy. The popular struggle against the country's former apartheid regime and the on-going democratisation of South African politics have generated enormous creativity and inspiration as well as many contradictions and unfulfilled expectations. In the present period of social transformation, the legacy of the country's past is both a source of continuing conflict and tension as well as a cause for celebration and hope. Post-apartheid South Africa provides an important case study of social transformation and how the cultural, social and political identities of a diverse population and the structure and practices of the media of mass communications affect the prospects for developing a multicultural democracy. The promise and the challenge of building a multicultural democratic society in a country with a racist and violent authoritarian legacy involves people with different identities and interests learning how to respect their differences and to live together in peace. It involves developing an inclusive or overarching common identity and a commitment to working together for a common destiny based on social equity and justice. South Africa's media of mass communications have an important role to play in the process of unprecedented social transformation - both in developing the respect for differences and the overarching identity as well as providing the public forum and the channels of communication needed for the successful development of the country's multicultural democracy. In South Africa, the democratization of the media must go hand in hand with the democratization of the political system in order to ensure that the majority of the citizenry participate effectively in the country's multicultural democracy. Topics covered include The Struggle for African Identity: Thabo Mbeki's African Renaissance", "Between the Local and the Global: South African Languages and the Internet", "Shooting the East/Veils and Masks: Uncovering Orientalism in South African Media" and "Black and White in Ink: Discourses of Resistance in South African Cartooning"." |
Contents
Abebe ZEGEYE and Richard L HARRIS | 1 |
Pal AHLUWALIA | 27 |
Sean JACOBS | 41 |
Herman WASSERMAN | 65 |
Abebe ZEGEYE | 85 |
Elizabeth LE ROUX | 111 |
Gabeba BADEROON | 129 |
Andy MASON | 147 |
Thembisa MJWACU | 169 |
Notes on Contributors | 191 |
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Media, Identity and the Public Sphere in Post-apartheid South Africa Abebe Zegeye,Richard L. Harris No preview available - 2003 |
Common terms and phrases
African Renaissance Afrikaans apartheid argues artists black South African Cape Town cartoonists colonial coloured identities colouredness comic strip community broadcasting context country's critical cultural democracy democratic democratisation discourse District Six dominant economic edited emerged English essay ethnic gender global globalisation groups human rights hybridity ideological important indigenous languages infrastructure Internet Islam Johannesburg journalists Kaschula Kwela liberal linked London Madam & Eve Mail & Guardian majority Malay Mandela mass mass media Mbeki's Muslims negotiations negritude newspaper Nyamnjoh Orientalism Pagad political population position post-apartheid South Africa problem provides race racial radio relations relationship reports representations role SABC sexual Soudien South Africa South African cartooning South African languages South African media South African society stereotypes stories struggle Studies term transformation transition underground comix University Press victims violence Western Cape Windhoek Windhoek Declaration women Xhosa Zapiro