Do South Africans exist? : Nationalism, Democracy, and the Identity of the People Ivor Chipkin.
Material type:
TextPublication details: Johannesburg : Wits University Press, 2007. Description: ix, 261 pages colour illustrations: 22 cmISBN: 9781868 144457Subject(s): South Africa | | DDC classification: 320.540968 CHIP Summary: Summary: Do South Africans exist? addresses a gap in contemporary studies of nationalism and the nation, providing a critical study of South African nationalisms against the broader context of African nationalism in general. Narratives of resistance, telling of African peoples oppressed and exploited, presume that 'the people' preceded the period of nationalist struggle. This book explores how an African 'people' came into being in the first place, particularly in the South African context, as a collectively organised in pursuit of a political--and not simply cultural--end. The author argues that the nation is a political community whose form is given in relation to the pursuit of democracy and freedom, and that if democratic authority is lodged in 'the people', what matters is the way that this 'people' is defined, delimited and produced. He argues that the nation precedes the state, not because it has always existed, but because it emerges in and through the nationalist struggle for state power. Ultimately, he encourages the reader to re-evaluate knee-jerk judgements about the failure of modernity in Africa.--Book flap.
| Item type | Current library | Collection | Shelving location | Call number | Status | Date due | Barcode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Book
|
Mkhuhlu | 300: Social Science | Non Fiction | 320.540968 CHIP (Browse shelf(Opens below)) | Available | 33228 022886079 | |
| Books | Shatale | Available | 33228017990076 |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 237-249) and index.
Summary: Do South Africans exist? addresses a gap in contemporary studies of nationalism and the nation, providing a critical study of South African nationalisms against the broader context of African nationalism in general. Narratives of resistance, telling of African peoples oppressed and exploited, presume that 'the people' preceded the period of nationalist struggle. This book explores how an African 'people' came into being in the first place, particularly in the South African context, as a collectively organised in pursuit of a political--and not simply cultural--end. The author argues that the nation is a political community whose form is given in relation to the pursuit of democracy and freedom, and that if democratic authority is lodged in 'the people', what matters is the way that this 'people' is defined, delimited and produced. He argues that the nation precedes the state, not because it has always existed, but because it emerges in and through the nationalist struggle for state power. Ultimately, he encourages the reader to re-evaluate knee-jerk judgements about the failure of modernity in Africa.--Book flap.
Adult
There are no comments on this title.