Conversations among Black staff members at a historically White Afrikaans university campus on issues of race, social justice and reconciliation
In an ethnographically designed study, guided by a critical community psychology framework, Black staff members at a historically White Afrikaans university campus conducted email conversations relating to issues of race, social justice and reconciliation. The conversations were initiated by the au...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of the Free State
2012-09-01
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| Series: | Perspectives in Education |
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| Online Access: | http://196.255.246.28/index.php/pie/article/view/1764 |
| _version_ | 1797257924546920448 |
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| author | Willy Nel |
| author_facet | Willy Nel |
| author_sort | Willy Nel |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
In an ethnographically designed study, guided by a critical community psychology framework, Black staff members at a historically White Afrikaans university campus conducted email conversations relating to issues of race, social justice and reconciliation. The conversations were initiated by the author (Black) who mainly used prompts found in the local institutional context to elicit responses from colleagues. A critical discourse approach to thematic analysis of the email conversations was followed. The main findings are: Compared to the potential number of respondents (32 Black staff members or 18% of all faculty staff), very few colleagues (9 or 28% of Black staff members) responded via email to the invitations but, when met in person, all expressed strong views on the topics or prompts used in the initialising emails. The critical discourse approach revealed clear psychopolitical awareness and strong discourses of fear, powerlessness and bitterness, as well as a discourse of non-engagement. These discourses appeared in all three domains of analysis: local, institutional and societal. Theoretical explication is sought mainly in resistance theory for the discourse of non-engagement and the scarcity of responses located in the local domain. Transformative resistance is suggested so that alternative discourses are inculcated, at least, in faculties of education at some historically White Afrikaans university campuses.
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| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T22:45:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-063e5864c8de4192958ed43dff113172 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0258-2236 2519-593X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T22:45:22Z |
| publishDate | 2012-09-01 |
| publisher | University of the Free State |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Perspectives in Education |
| spelling | doaj.art-063e5864c8de4192958ed43dff1131722024-03-18T11:11:55ZengUniversity of the Free StatePerspectives in Education0258-22362519-593X2012-09-0130310.38140/pie.v30i3.1764Conversations among Black staff members at a historically White Afrikaans university campus on issues of race, social justice and reconciliationWilly Nel0University of the Free State In an ethnographically designed study, guided by a critical community psychology framework, Black staff members at a historically White Afrikaans university campus conducted email conversations relating to issues of race, social justice and reconciliation. The conversations were initiated by the author (Black) who mainly used prompts found in the local institutional context to elicit responses from colleagues. A critical discourse approach to thematic analysis of the email conversations was followed. The main findings are: Compared to the potential number of respondents (32 Black staff members or 18% of all faculty staff), very few colleagues (9 or 28% of Black staff members) responded via email to the invitations but, when met in person, all expressed strong views on the topics or prompts used in the initialising emails. The critical discourse approach revealed clear psychopolitical awareness and strong discourses of fear, powerlessness and bitterness, as well as a discourse of non-engagement. These discourses appeared in all three domains of analysis: local, institutional and societal. Theoretical explication is sought mainly in resistance theory for the discourse of non-engagement and the scarcity of responses located in the local domain. Transformative resistance is suggested so that alternative discourses are inculcated, at least, in faculties of education at some historically White Afrikaans university campuses. http://196.255.246.28/index.php/pie/article/view/1764Black staffhistorically White Afrikaans universityracesocial justicereconciliationcritical discourse approach |
| spellingShingle | Willy Nel Conversations among Black staff members at a historically White Afrikaans university campus on issues of race, social justice and reconciliation Perspectives in Education Black staff historically White Afrikaans university race social justice reconciliation critical discourse approach |
| title | Conversations among Black staff members at a historically White Afrikaans university campus on issues of race, social justice and reconciliation |
| title_full | Conversations among Black staff members at a historically White Afrikaans university campus on issues of race, social justice and reconciliation |
| title_fullStr | Conversations among Black staff members at a historically White Afrikaans university campus on issues of race, social justice and reconciliation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Conversations among Black staff members at a historically White Afrikaans university campus on issues of race, social justice and reconciliation |
| title_short | Conversations among Black staff members at a historically White Afrikaans university campus on issues of race, social justice and reconciliation |
| title_sort | conversations among black staff members at a historically white afrikaans university campus on issues of race social justice and reconciliation |
| topic | Black staff historically White Afrikaans university race social justice reconciliation critical discourse approach |
| url | http://196.255.246.28/index.php/pie/article/view/1764 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT willynel conversationsamongblackstaffmembersatahistoricallywhiteafrikaansuniversitycampusonissuesofracesocialjusticeandreconciliation |