Home Institution
Skidmore College
Publication Date
Spring 2019
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the prevalence and qualities of a South African patriotism in Stellenbosch. 25 years after the transition to democracy and an election in 2019, this study aims to develop a sense of national pride using a small sample size. The major question is how is that pride expressed? Is it using rhetoric from the post-1994 ANC nation-building projects? Or have those efforts lost salience in people’s lives?
To conduct this research, I used mainly a 'vox pop' style interview, meaning participants were chosen randomly to answer a short, 5-6 question survey about national pride. Structured interviews with planned meeting times were also conducted, where participants answered the same set of questions.
The findings of this research were insightful in four main regards. The first was the reference to post-1994 ANC rhetoric, which was invoked and spanned demographic lines but was not overwhelmingly present. The second was the unanimous feelings of uncertainty about the future of the country. The third was the stable definition of 'patriotism' offered by participants. Finally, the complexities of coloured identity in South Africa that were alluded to in interviews with coloured participants.
Disciplines
African Languages and Societies | African Studies | Civic and Community Engagement | Political Science | Politics and Social Change | Race, Ethnicity and Post-Colonial Studies | Social and Cultural Anthropology
Recommended Citation
Mitchell, John, "The 25th Anniversary of South African Democracy: Exploring Perspectives of 10 Stellenbosch Residents on Patriotism and National Pride" (2019). Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection. 3021.
https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection/3021
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Included in
African Languages and Societies Commons, African Studies Commons, Civic and Community Engagement Commons, Political Science Commons, Politics and Social Change Commons, Race, Ethnicity and Post-Colonial Studies Commons, Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons
Program Name
South Africa: Multiculturalism and Human Rights