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Copyright of South African Journal of Cultural History is the property of South African Society for Cultural History and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Currently, limited information is available on the spiritual inclinations of the millennial age bracket in South Africa. This research aims to fill this knowledge gap. The researcher proposes amalgamated ethnography as the method of inquiry for this project. The participants indicated strong feelings of conflict and rebellion that have inspired a spiritual quest for meaning and purpose as a method to assist with guiding behaviours, along with a need for connectedness with others. The participants are still in a developmental process and, currently, in a state of immature spiritual development. The researcher also stipulates the limitations and recommendations of this research and emphasises that this proposal should stimulate conversation and further research into the role of spirituality in the identity formation of millennials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of Afrikaans as a language of instruction at South African universities has been under fire for some time. This should be considered in the context of the anglicisation of higher education, a global trend related to globalism and the (re-)internationalisation of the university system. The core of this study consists of a content analysis of the responses of Afrikaansspeaking students at the University of South Africa (Unisa) to the question as to why they chose English as their language of study. At the time of the investigation, a number of modules at this university were still available in Afrikaans. When the abolition of Afrikaans as a language of tuition was proposed, the choice of English as the language of instruction by Afrikaansspeaking students was often put forward as justification for such a policy. Relatively little research has been conducted into the reasons for this phenomenon. The study is based on a questionnaire survey among Unisa students who indicated at registration that their home language was Afrikaans, Afrikaans and English as well as students who took modules in Afrikaans. Practical problems such as lecturers being unable to respond in Afrikaans, were often cited. A small number of students reported that university officials dissuaded them from registering in Afrikaans. More significant were perceptions of an advantage associated with a degree completed in English. We discuss such responses within the framework of the globalising discourse informed by the idea of the university as a business, the internationalisation of the university, globalisation and globalism. Approximately half the respondents indicated that they studied through the medium of English. Many, nevertheless, reported a sense of pride in the Afrikaans language and supported the idea of Afrikaans as an option for language of instruction. Respondents were given the opportunity to, first, provide reasons for studying in English in free text and then select the most important reason(s) for doing so from a list. The fact that textbooks and other study material are predominantly in English emerged as the most important reason why Afrikaansspeaking students preferred studying in English. It was chosen by more than twice as many respondents as the option "English is the language of business". Since students are only informed about the details regarding their textbook and the fact that study material is available in Afrikaans after registration for a module at Unisa, we suspect that, because of a lack of timely information, anticipated difficulties often play a role in students' selection of English as their medium of instruction. This has implications for South African universities that are considering the extensive use of historically disadvantaged official languages for tuition. It also has consequences for Unisa itself as, in June 2020, the Supreme Court of Appeal reversed the university's decision to discontinue tuition in Afrikaans by declaring its language policy to this effect illegal and unconstitutional. The Court ordered the reinstitution of its previous policy which mandated that certain modules should be available to students in Afrikaans at the discretion of the Senate. Furthermore, students were uncertain whether they had the option to study in Afrikaans. A number of common misconceptions about the universality of English and the perception that Afrikaans subject terminology is clumsy and/or difficult to understand, were noted. Ultimately, it is up to the Afrikaans language community to convince young people that studying in Afrikaans does not imply a disadvantage. It is also of critical importance that tertiary education in Afrikaans should be facilitated by, for example, making textbooks available in Afrikaans and by taking care that terminology is standardised. It was also noted that students who chose to study in English were noticeably less committed not only to the identity of their own language and cultural group, but also to South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The generation ofyoungpeople growing up in this challenging and ever-changing 21st-century society needs a solid foundation, and meaningful framework to participate in Dutch society as a resilient, responsible and conscious person. Young people need time and space to develop their own identity through thinking about values, norms and motives. They also need this to reflect on what gives meaning and direction to life. This is exactly what worldview education is all about. A worldview is a coherent set of ideas, experiences, values and images that a person develops about themselves, about living together with others, and about the world. Everyone has a perspective on life and this perspective is influenced by cultures, religion, or other (more secular) worldviews such as humanism. When we talk about worldview education, we distinguish two components. The first component is knowledge about and from different religions and worldviews. The second component is the development of a personal worldview and the unfolding of one's own identity. Worldview education is important because it helps young people to develop a moral compass that gives direction and meaning to life. Furthermore, it gives them roots which empower them in today's challenging society. All schools should recognise the relevance of worldview education and should give structural attention to this subject in their vision and curriculum. In the Netherlands, confessional secondary education offers worldview education as school subject "levensbeschouwing" (worldview education) or "godsdienst" (religious education). Most public secondary schools, however, do not offer any worldview education. Two reasons explain why most public secondary schools do not offer worldview education. First, Dutch public schools are established and managed by the government. The Dutch government has a neutral attitude towards certain topics such as religion, identity and worldview. Public education adopted this neutral attitude and substantiated this by arguing that all forms of confessional worldview education should take place outside of public education. This is called the active neutral attitude of public education. Second, worldview education is associated with (confessional) religious education and this association consists out of two parts: the religious identity of confessional schools (which is where confessional worldview education is taught) and the teaching of one specific religion in these schools (instead of learning about and from different religions and worldviews). However, we want to argue that public education still does justice to its identity and assignment when offering worldview education in an active pluralistic way. Public schools claim to be a meeting place for children with different backgrounds because every student, regardless of belief, culture, or other background, is welcome at a public school. This diversity is a distinctive aspect of the identity of a public school. Worldview education pays attention to this diversity and teaches about different religions and worldviews that play a role in society. Giving equal attention to different cultures, religions and worldviews is more "neutral" than giving preference to a secular vision where none of these subjects are taught. Apart from the above, the government has given public education the obligatory task that is called "active pluralism", which means that public schools have to pay attention to diversity in society, that students have to reflect critically on their own worldview, and that they should discuss different religions and worldviews with respect and without prejudice. One could say that, because of its identity and assignment, public education in particular is the place where worldview education should have a structural place. We argue that worldview education could have this structural place in public education by connecting worldview education to citizenship education. Citizenship education consists of three different domains: democracy, participation and identity. Worldview education is interwoven with all of these three domains, but especially with the domain "identity" and is, therefore, an essential part of citizenship education. Based on these three domains of citizenship education, two substantive aspects of citizenship education can be distinguished: society-oriented citizenship education (based on the democracy domain) and person-oriented citizenship education (based on the identity domain). Participation is an important part of both domains and an overall purpose of citizenship education and can, therefore, be seen as the overarching domain. Person-oriented citizenship education is about identity development and consists of five different elements: worldview and religious literacy, meaning-giving, personhood formation, active encounter and critical thinking. This means that person-oriented citizenship education overlaps with worldview education. Therefore, person-oriented citizenship education is the solution for public secondary schools to offer worldview education. Person-oriented citizenship education offers important elements of worldview education, and has no association with learning in a specific religion or with confessional schools. Furthermore, this education is in line with the identity and task of public secondary schools. In conclusion: it is important that public secondary schools give structural attention to person-oriented citizenship education. This can be done in two ways. First of all, it should be part ofthe school policy and, therefore, in public secondary schools person-oriented citizenship education ought to be accommodated in the vision, mission and goals of the school. Secondly, person-oriented citizenship education should get a structural place in the curriculum of the school as an independent subject, or as part of other already existing related subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this essay, I argue that NP van Wyk Louw's 1939 concept of "loyal resistance", although a construct mobilised in the name of Afrikaner nationalism, retains critical significance for our time if read through the lens of Michel Foucault's notion of "transgression". Both "loyal resistance" and "transgression" announce a field of fruitful tension which promises the possibility of empowered action even in a time of utter impotence. Now is a time of power movements that engulf the globe and of corrupt local machinations of power. I contend that even at this historical juncture and in this "strange place", it is possible to live "highly" if one lives in the spirit of continuous resistance. Louw's own time was a time of conflicting tensions. In the 1920s and 1930s he fought for the consolidation and ennoblement of Afrikaans (during this time his volume of essays, Lojale verset, ["loyal resistance"] was written); the 1950s were a period of political self-complacency, and the 1960s a seemingly unassailable hegemony. Lojale verset, like Liberale nasionalisme ("liberal nationalism"), is an expression of Louw's central concern with the question of the continued existence of the Afrikaner people and is therefore inherently Afrikaner-centric. He was unequivocally an apartheid intellectual. In his time, Afrikaner identity was still in the making and Afrikaner nationalism not yet fully established. The 1930s were a time of unrest, white poverty and painful memories of defeat in the Anglo-Boer War. His thought is coloured by a political vacillation between, on the one hand, an unambivalent loyalty to his people and the unwavering belief in the separation of the races and, on the other hand, his resolve to tell the truth to the powers-that-be, his standing up for those wronged by the state and, on occasion, his defending segments of the broader black population. He was constantly caught in the double bind of "loyal" and "resistance". Against this backdrop, I attempt to place his notion of "loyal resistance" in critical dialogue with Foucault's understanding of the Bataillian concept of "transgression" - a concept that likewise derives its critical force from the field of tension between limit and violation or taboo and transgression. Both thinkers' primary and undisputed source of inspiration was Nietzsche. Despite their divergent historical situatedness, both were critical of critique, and both embraced the promise of the Aufklärung, as conceived by Kant, as a "critical ontology of ourselves". Both rejected self-complacency in favour of self-overcoming. I therefore contend that the two thinkers can justifiably be brought into dialogue without resorting to selective and misleading reading strategies. For Foucault, transgression is inherently about resistance to stifling limits imposed by power structures without exceeding those limits. To exceed limits would be to end existence, existence that is in itself finite. Transgression is therefore an admission that defiance would be impossible without a measure of loyalty to that which one resists. His entire intellectual, political and ethical project is devoted to finding ways in which the limits to which individuals are subjected can be resisted; to transform critique levelled in the form of an inevitable limitation into a practical critique that takes the form of a possible transgression. Louw and Foucault find common ground in the undeniably Nietzschean belief in the empowering force of dangerous, destructive thought or critique; "thought of the limit" that saves humanity from perhaps the greatest danger to spiritual life - the snare of self-complacency and self-assured intolerance. According to Louw, "great critique" of this kind is a condemnation of one's own complicity in the sins of one's people, it is an atonement and a cleansing. Both Louw and Foucault held the conviction that although the individual is an intrinsic part of his or her own community and history, he or she has the ability to change his or her mode of belonging to that community and history. A critical ontology is therefore an analysis of the limits of one's being, not in the sense of an essential, unchanging being, but contingent, multiple and fluid ways of being human subjects. It entails a limit attitude or a historico-critical attitude that is experimental, local and specific. If we therefore reconsider "loyal resistance" from the perspective of "transgression", it appears that resistance is indubitably connected to loyalty, perhaps even impossible without it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of South African Journal of Cultural History is the property of South African Society for Cultural History and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of South African Journal of Cultural History is the property of South African Society for Cultural History and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Literary and philosophical marginal notes regarding the transformation trilogy of Antjie Krog. In her published PhD thesis, ‘baie worde : Identiteit en transformasie by Antjie Krog [‘many becomings’: Identity and transformation in the thought of Antjie Krog], Jacomien Van Niekerk directs her attention to the issues mentioned in the title of her thesis. In the discussion of the trilogy at hand a brief assessment is given of the place of works similar to these within the South African literature. The work of Van Niekerk is appreciated as a contribution to Krog studies, and as a reflection on identity within a South African context. According to Van Niekerk, the concept ‘identity’ and the concern for the possibility of the origination of new identities, such as a South African, Pan African and even a ‘black’ identity, occupies a central position in this work. The work of Van Niekerk is aligned with postcolonial thinking on identity, nationhood and becoming, as well as the investigation of ‘whiteness’, and ‘blackness’ as the opposite of the ‘white’ Eurocentrism of the colonial era. Van Niekerk shows that Krog understands identity as a process of becoming. According to Van Niekerk, the ultimate aim of her book is to launch an investigation into nationhood, while simultaneously highlighting Krog’s rejection of Eurocentrism and the accompanying conception of the ‘inherent superiority’ of western modernity. A shortcoming in the work of Van Niekerk is the striking absence of references to writers such as F.A. van Jaarsveld, Fransjohan Pretorius, J.C. Steyn and Herman Giliomee, all of them authors who wrote extensively about these issues. This results in a particularly one-sided perspective on the past. Krog attempts to justify everything in terms of African thought. Her thinking often borders upon becoming superficial, emotional and ideologically driven. Sometimes it is even ‘propagandistic’ and non-intellectual in nature. Van Niekerk mentions the strong interest in African philosophy. However, both western philosophy and African philosophy are confronted with the same problems. In this article, attention is given to those philosophical problems that are implicit or explicit in the work of Van Niekerk. Among them are problems such as the issue of essentialism, the relationships between what is universal and what is individual, constancy and dynamics (persistence and change), the nature of the whole-parts relation, the question concerning identity-in-becoming, nation, ethnic groups and the state, the relationships between community and communality, the question regarding the assumed social constructs of human society, blackness and whiteness, and a postcolonial yearning to ‘become otherwise’. Even though it may appear that these problems are not interrelated, the way in which they are scrutinised in more detail indeed makes it clear that they do cohere, apart from the fact that all these problems surface in Van Niekerk’s work and in the publications of Krog. Ultimately all these problems are philosophical in nature. Investigating them does not elevate one or another ‘thought-system’ to become the norm for all the others. Rather attention is drawn to certain states of affairs, as well as exercising immanent criticism.

Copyright of South African Journal of Cultural History is the property of South African Society for Cultural History and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Inhabitants of a community in the Western Cape, heavily burdened by a negative identity caused by poverty and many of the socio-economic problems associated with poverty, formed the focus of the research. It was necessary for the participants in this study to reflect anew on their own experiences as revealed by their stories about themselves, because they are and become the stories they tell. It was assumed that storytelling would be an enabling tool to assist them in discovering their true identity, since their own stories as told by themselves in a familiar language could bring to the fore more positive aspects of an otherwise depressing existence, thereby strengthening a more positive identity. The research question in the present study can be simply stated as: • What contribution can storytelling as a strategy make to the construction of identity? A qualitative research methodology was followed by using PALAR (Participatory Action Learning and Action Research) as method of enquiry. The life stories of the participants were collected in accordance with this methodology using interviewing, Photovoice activities, journal entries, observations made by the researcher and recordings by means of field notes. The collected data were analysed using the software program ATLAS.tiTM. The results were discussed in accordance with the objectives of the study in an attempt to answer the research questions from the findings as comprehensively as possible. The results, as obtained from the literature review and the empirical investigation, were taken into consideration while implementing storytelling as a teaching strategy. Cohesion exists between the identity of the participant and the context(s) in which the stories are constructed. The narratives are presented by the participants themselves and from the stories they tell, their individual experiences are deduced in the micro-system. The mesosystem entails the relation between the micro-systems, and it could be ascertained that incidences experienced by the individual influenced the individual's relationship with other role players. Should storytelling have developed within a specific micro-system, it can serve as a solution when social problems such as poverty exert influence on the individual. In the eco-system in which a link exists between the context in which the individual plays no active role, and the context in which he actively participates, storytelling brought to the fore factors that influence individuals (for instance parents' workplace, family's social networks and the community). Stories describe the macro-system, the culture in which the individual lives, for instance customs, traditions, the economy, health services, education and values. It was found that the individual does not understand who they are if their life forms no story, because stories are not simply something people tell, but also incidences of what people have experienced. Therefore, storytelling can expose the individual's negative identity. From the participants' storytelling it became clear that they are dependent on one another at both material and emotional levels due to the brokenness observed in family constructs and poverty (at all levels - material and emotional, as well as the socio-economic decay brought about by poverty). The group that is seen as an entity (community) dissipates uncertainty in the self by practising immoral and bad habits. Participants' storytelling brought to the fore the internalisation of symptoms (depression and fear) as well as the externalisation of symptoms, amongst others, drug and liquor abuse risks. Absent parental support has an influence on the construction of the individual's identity, as confirmed from the participants' storytelling. From the stories told by the participants it became clear that incidents and actions around the individual can be destructive, but can in time be seen and experienced as positive. Therefore, storytelling as strategy brings to the fore a positive identity. A large number of the participants never recognised positive elements in their lives before communicating these in their stories. Specifically the positive characteristics, abilities and skills of the participants are revealed in their storytelling. Religion plays a prominent role in the lives of quite a number of the participants, and serves as a solution for restoration. It is then also especially religion that gives them insight into all the problematic aspects of their lives. It was also found in the storytelling that the focus should be centred on the individual's religion and not on the individual. The participants' dreams were revealed by the stories told by them. The contribution stories make to identity is that stories told by individuals reveal who they are. When storytelling directs the individual's way of thinking in a positive direction, it enables them to organize their way of living and adopt a positive world view. Storytelling has at its command a number of qualities that make it suitable to be applied as an education strategy. Therefore, stories told by individuals with a view to establish a storytelling culture serve to promote identity development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Literator is the property of African Online Scientific Information System PTY LTD and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of South African Journal of Cultural History is the property of South African Society for Cultural History and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Integration and coordination of ministries in identity finding and identity development. In this article Nel’s argument that ministries (in the building up of the local congregation) need each other to facilitate the discovery and development of identity is tested. The role that the integration and coordination of ministries in a systems approach play in the discovery and development of a missional congregation’s identity is investigated and research is done to see whether scholars agree with Nel’s theory that all the ministries can facilitate identity finding and identity development. This empirical research (quantitative as well qualitative) was conducted among the ministers of the Highveld Synod of the Dutch Reformed Church. Hundred and thirty nine of the 144 ministers agreed to take part in the quantitative research, followed by partly structured interviews with 16 randomly selected ministers. During the empirical study (which formed part of PhD research) every attempt was made to obtain data in connection with the understanding ministers have regarding the building up, identity and missional being of a congregation as well as the integration and coordination of the ministries that are present in their congregations. Most of the ministers are aware of the fact that they need to develop their congregations as missional congregations, but the ministers do not always have the knowledge and experience to make the move. It was clear that not all the ministers understand the role that the ministries play in identity finding and identity development. Nel’s theory has therefore been affirmed by the empirical research. The research has shown that some of the ministers seem to show a flawed understanding that identity is a relational reality. At the same time there exists quite possibly a defective understanding that a congregation’s reason for existence originates in its identity, and it is clear that the role that the integration and coordination of the ministry play in the discovery and development of the identity are not fully understood. Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: Starting from within the framework of Practical Theology, I leaned into Dogmatics to learn more about the identity of the church. Dogmatics led me to a missiological ecclesiology that forms part of the study field of Missiology. The integration and coordination of ministries in a local congregation is basically systems theory. Systems theory is an interdisciplinary study of systems.

How does one understand who one is in a post-apartheid world? Put differently: what comes after the logic of apartheid? In this article I take up the question by arguing for a notion of identity as action rather than essence, that is, a notion of identity that allows for one's existence in the world as always with others. In order to argue the case, the first part of the article hermeneutically analyses the logic that constitutes the colonial and apartheid conceptions of identity as onto-race-logy, that is, a logic taken over from a certain form of Western metaphysical thinking that takes race as its highest and grounding principle according to which the totality is ordered. According to this logic, identity functions as "something which is the same as itself" (A = A). It is an essentialised form of identity that is separate from the world as totality in a vacuum-like existence. The world and the other are therefore understood according to the categories of the self, in which the self or its identity is given an elevated position in relation to the world and others, that is, a certain racial identity in the case of onto-race-logy. Furthermore, the logic has two ethical implications. Firstly, binary oppositions are set up, the identity of the other becoming the negative pole of the positive self-identity. For instance, the colonised African subject is seen as negative and primitive in relation to the Western subject. In apartheid terms, the "black man" is regarded as "godless" and the opposite of the "Christian white man" and branded as a "kaffir". The latter term originates from the Arabic word kafir, meaning "infidel", and may be compared to the use of Negro in America and Nègre in the French-speaking world, both fulfilling the same function. Difference or strangeness is typified negatively and should therefore be kept apart. In addition, this negative typification occurs through the process of scapegoating, which has a long history in the Western world, in which all the sins (aggression, guilt and violence) of the group are projected onto the stranger. This is a means of creating a binding identity and solidarity within a group. Moreover, the negative typification and scapegoating is accompanied by the creation of myths that are not based in reality but in fantasy, in this instance myths about the "black man", who is seen as exotic, barbaric, hyper-sexual, pre-political, and so forth. These myths create a mask of race that covers the face of the other and provides the content with which to typify. The second ethical implication is that the other is not only typified as negative, but is also regarded as less valuable ontologically. Hence, enclosed in the term "kaffir" is the misrecognition of the human dignity of the person enclosed by this concept of identity. The same logic that holds for the relation between the self and the other is also at play in society, and determines the way in which the totality and the relation between groups are structured. The meaning within a society is determined by the identity of one group, which may lead to a state of totalitarianism. Apartheid is an example of this function where the world we live in is determined by the categories of race, which largely dominate to this day. Our identity is thus enclosed in and reduced to race. The first part ends with an exploration of another reason for the creation and perpetuation of racial identities in the colonial and apartheid eras. This reason concerns the creation of racial categories for the justification of the exploitation of people for capitalistic ends. In other words, if the "black man" is not regarded as fully human, there can be no objection to treating them as inferior and to rationalise any practices that follow from such a conception. Since all identities are enclosed in this logic, the "white man" is, in turn, regarded as fully human and therefore economic and political prosperity is justified. And because this logic has not yet been overcome, "white privilege" has become part of the everyday discourse in South Africa, a discourse in which the connection between economic prosperity and the identity of the "white man" is regarded as negative in the absence of political power. More important, although these constructions of "white man" and "black man" (or any other racial construction) might not apply to one, one is still captured in them and the misrecognition of one's existence in the world may lead to alternative self-conceptions. The second part of the article explores what might follow on the logic of apartheid (or the colony, in the larger context), namely the onto-race-logical constructions of identity. Two choices are outlined. The first choice entails a perpetuation of the logic by a nostalgic appeal to the colonial and apartheid conception of identity, or by the construction of a new absolute reference point as found in variations of the ideology of Pan-Africanism and Afrocentrism. This would lead to the totality becoming enclosed in a logic based on an essentialised notion of identity, the existence of the other in both cases being misrecognised. Apartheid itself may be regarded as an example of this choice, because it originated in a project of decolonising British colonial oppression and reappropriated the problematic logic in new forms. The second choice, by contrast, aims at breaking with that logic by reconsidering the notion of identity at an ontological level. Instead of an essentialised notion of identity, identity should be considered as accounting for our existence in the world with others. Hence, one does not think about the relation to the other or about self-understanding from a point of isolation but rather in relation to the other. In our co-existence, therefore, where each person is co-original, co-creation of meaning takes place. The implication of this ontological shift is that there is no notion of a pure identity, but rather that identities are always intertwined with other identities and that each identity needs an-other to be an identity. Meaning is co-created in tension with others. Moreover, as part of our shared existence there is an ethical responsibility in our shared striving for a dignified life, and that is the demand of the reparation of the human dignity of all. Thus, to take responsibility for the past and the present is to contemplate our shared existence in the future, and to take up the shared responsibility for it, which makes it a universal task. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Governments tend to encourage so-called nation building, in order to create a united citizenry. In homogenous societies, this occurs fairly easily, as people already feel that they are united in terms of culture and language. Therefore, they naturally feel that they are working towards the same end-goal. In multicultural societies, or in societies with minorities living with the majority, certain groups are always excluded from this. It will be argued that this has always been the case ever since the origin of state. Certain governments, with specific reference to South Africa, deliberately set out to undermine certain minority groups. The modern state is evaluated in terms of Adam Smith's set role for the state. Smith identifies the role of the state as protecting citizens from attacks from other countries, protecting citizens from injustices and harm caused by others and, finally, providing infrastructure as well as a good business environment in which business can thrive. By excluding certain minorities, the last two roles are neglected and the rights of those minorities are infringed upon. As maintaining a good defence force is dependent on developing a thriving economy, the first, and perhaps most basic, function of the state is undermined. Therefore, undermining certain minorities would be against Hobbes' social contract, as it misrepresents some individuals. It also clashes with Adam Smith's set notion of the state's responsibility, according to which it must ensure that its citizens are provided with the freedom and infrastructure to facilitate economic growth. When failing in both of these aspects, serious questions about the legitimacy of such a state are raised. In order to evaluate the role of nation building and representativity, in terms of the actual functions of the state, one must start with the origin of the state. This is because the origin of state power must be understood in order to legitimize the use thereof in terms of governing the cultural and economic practices of subjects and citizens. According to d'Entreves, the state's only legitimization comes from itself, therefore the core of any political theory should be to establish whether the state has any right to exist, apart from the rights that it grants to itself. Hobbes and Rousseau chose the path of the social contract in their political theories. In these theories, the sovereign represents everyone. When using this approach to legitimize state power, minorities are often entirely excluded, as they do not form part of the contract, or they are pushed to the margins by the tyranny of the majority. As the government is supposed to safeguard the rights of all citizens, this seriously questions the legitimacy of governments who advocate for expanding the rights of some groups at the expense of others. In this regard, the South African government since 1994 is used as an example. Nationbuilding generally refers to non-racialism and representativity. The major instruments whereby such goals are to be attained in the formal sectors are by means of affirmative action and Black Economic Empowerment (BEE). Certain examples are referred to, such as the government's aim of establishing 100 black industrialists. This is questioned, as becoming a major industrialist usually requires certain skills and experience. Similarly, forcing companies to hire certain people when they are not the best suited or qualified for their positions would put strain on the entire economy. Besides this, it hampers the natural transfusion of skills and assets which would have occurred if the state had not intervened. Rather than creating a united nation or social cohesion, such projects cast doubt on any appointments from the designated groups. Furthermore, it creates doubt amongst minority groups as to whether the government has their best interests at heart. Although trickle-down economics have been questioned, it is without a doubt true that cultural groups cannot empower themselves in isolation. If one group flourishes economically, others will share in it too. The government's restrictions on growth amongst minority groups therefore does not only impact negatively on the specific group, but on society as a whole. By deliberately sabotaging its own economy, such a government proves itself to be illegitimate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the book of Joshua is often read as being hostile to non-Israelites, this paper argues that its concern is not with ethnicity but rather with the nature of someone's relationship to Yahweh. Understood against the wider narrative arc of the book, Joshua 24 thus becomes the point where this is explored in full. This then establishes a pattern that runs through the Former Prophets which consistently demonstrate the possibilities for foreigners within Israel. The means by which this is presented suggest that Joshua in particular is arguing against a dominant social model which is opposed to foreigners. From this, it can be seen that Joshua is establishing an ethical paradigm which is welcoming to those who commit to Yahweh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The article discusses the responses of Afrikaans-speaking students to an open question contained in a questionnaire survey. The study focused on the factors influencing language choice in higher education and specifically at Unisa, the largest and oldest open-distance learning institution in Africa. It involved an internet survey of a sample of Unisa students, namely those who indicated on their registration forms that they were Afrikaans speaking or spoke Afrikaans and English as well as students who enrolled for at least one module in Afrikaans. The question, on which the current article focuses, can be translated as "Give the most important reasons(s) why you have chosen to study in Afrikaans". The background against which we investigate the students' responses includes theory on the role of language in education. More specifically, we focus on the role of mother-tongue education and mother-tongue learning as well as the role of language as a symbol of identity. We also discuss aspects of the language policy in higher education in South Africa and discourses on the declining position of Afrikaans as a language of learning and teaching (LoLT). A total of 2 794 completed questionnaires were received. With regard to language choice, 1393 (50,7%) of the respondents had chosen to study in Afrikaans and 1314 (47,8%) in English, while 87 respondents (or 1,5%) did not respond to the question on language choice. The reasons provided for their language choices by the subsample of respondents, who had chosen to study in Afrikaans, were first analysed thematically. Frequencies were then calculated for the themes that emerged. The theme most often mentioned relates to various advantages of mother-tongue education and mother-tongue learning. Respondents used a variety of terms indicating attachment to Afrikaans as their first language, such as "my mother tongue", "my home language" and "my language". The responses furthermore refer to various advantages of being taught and being able to learn in their mother tongue. The respondents indicated, among other things, that they not only learned faster and more effectively in their mother tongue, but that they also achieved deeper insight into the learning material. A distinction was therefore drawn between merely acquiring knowledge or facts - described as rote learning - and acquiring insight and being able to apply and communicate about the learning contents. This was contrasted with learning through the medium of their second language (English), which necessitated - despite the fact that they had a good knowledge of English - the frequent use of a dictionary. Respondents also indicated that communicating in their mother tongue is easier in stressful situations such as examinations. Lastly, they were convinced that mother-tongue teaching and learning enhanced their academic achievement. A second overarching theme revolves around the role of the mother tongue in defining identity and heritage. Responses referred to pride in their language, their language rights and language activism. It was further surprising to find, contrary to the prevailing misconception that English has become the language of the workplace, that a considerable number of respondents connected their choice in a positive way to their occupational environment. Certain students indicated that their choice had been influenced by the fact that they had attended Afrikaans schools. Respondents also noted various problems related to studying through Afrikaans, for example that most textbooks were written in English only. The findings of the study have provided insight into the learning strategies that students use in distance learning and their generally positive experiences of mother-tongue teaching and learning. These findings support claims in the literature regarding the advantages of mother-tongue education, for example that mother-tongue learning facilitates the integration of new knowledge with existing knowledge; allows for a deeper understanding of concepts; and enhances academic achievement. The results of the study emphasise that the role of language in higher education is not restricted to pedagogical concerns and highlights the important role of language as a symbol of identity. Thus language choice in higher education can be seen as both a cause and a consequence of identification processes. The impact of higher education institutions on identity formation and identity dynamics in society at large should therefore not be underestimated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conspiracy theories have become rather popular in the last decades: they are widely present in popular culture and many people in the West now follow conspiracy theories to make sense of what is going on in the world. But despite their popularity and normalization, the public image of conspiracy theorists remains morally tainted as paranoid and militant loonies. Academics contribute by conceiving of conspiracy theorists as a coherent collective: internal variety is sacrificed for a clear external demarcation. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork in the Netherlands, we explore variation in the conspiracy milieu through people's own self-understanding. More particularly, we study how these people identify with some and distinguish themselves from others. The analysis shows that they actively resist their stigmatization as conspiracy theorists by distinguishing themselves from the mainstream as 'critical freethinkers'. The trope 'I am not a conspiracy theorist' is used to reclaim rationality by labelling others within the conspiracy milieu the real conspiracy theorists. Secondly, their ideas of self and other make three groups apparent: Activists, Retreaters and Mediators. Conspiracy culture, we conclude, is not one monolithic whole, but rather a network of different groups of people, identifying with different worldviews, beliefs and practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we explore how people differ in interpreting members of their own and other social classes as portrayed in reality television. Using in-depth interviews, participants from three social classes watched video fragments showing people belonging to four social classes. The results indicate that we can distinguish four specific ways of interpreting, namely tolerance, distancing, practical, and identifying. These ways of interpreting are characteristic for the social classes of the viewers and differ in the extent in which they build on identity, distancing, openness, and stereotyping. The differences point towards an important but ambiguous role played by openness within the cultural elite, a strong class-consciousness shown by the economic elite, and a general importance of cultural and economic capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the move! About organizational identity formation in a changing context How does the identity of an organization develop in a permanently changing environment on which it depends and with which it is intertwined through networks? This question forms the subject of a case study performed by the Netherlands Institute for Sport and Physical Activity (NISB). Tackling problems and attaining goals requires the exchange and combination of goods, services and expertise. To achieve that, organizations work together in networks. Social problems, however, tend to be complex because they involve different parties with different backgrounds and different interests. Moreover, constant changes in the environment constantly require a response from organizations to safeguard their position. Confronted with changes, organizations are faced with dilemmas. These dilemmas reveal value contrasts that organizations have to deal with and that lead them to constantly reconsider their identity. Dilemmas and decision-making have been selected as the starting point for data collection in the study, the results of which show that, in order to preserve its mission, the NISB is constantly adapting its identity to suit the environment. In other words, a robust working method and a stable mission constantly create a new interactive identity. In beweging! Over de ontwikkeling en handhaving van de identiteit van een kennisorganisatie in een veranderende context Hoe ontwikkelt de identiteit van een organisatie zich in een permanent veranderende omgeving waarmee zij via netwerken verweven is en waarvan zij afhankelijk is? Deze vraag is onderwerp van een casestudy, uitgevoerd bij het Nederlands Instituut voor Sport en Bewegen (NISB). Bij de aanpak van problemen en het realiseren van doelstellingen is uitwisseling en bundeling van goederen, diensten en expertise noodzakelijk. Daartoe werken organisaties samen in netwerken. Maatschappelijke problemen zijn dikwijls complex omdat verschillende partijen vanuit uiteenlopende achtergronden en belangen betrokken zijn. Daar komt bij dat voortdurende veranderingen in de omgeving steeds vragen om een reactie van organisaties, dit met het oog op het behoud van haar positie. In de confrontatie met veranderingen stuiten organisaties op dilemma’s. Deze dilemma’s maken waardetegenstellingen zichtbaar, waar organisaties niet omheen kunnen en die vervolgens leiden tot een vrijwel permanente heroverweging van de identiteit van de organisatie. Dilemma’s en besluitvorming zijn gekozen als aangrijpingspunt voor de dataverzameling in het onderzoek. De resultaten laten zien hoe NISB, met behoud van haar missie, voortdurend haar identiteit aanpast aan haar omgeving. Met andere woorden, er is steeds sprake van interactieve identiteitsvorming die mogelijk gemaakt wordt door een robuuste werkwijze en een stabiele missie.