An Ordinary Country
Issues in the Transition from Apartheid to Democracy in South Africa
1st Edition
Published on 18. September 2003
Book
Hardback
228 pages
978-1-57181-261-2 (ISBN)
Description
Disputing the notion of a 'miracle' transition in South Africa, the author argues that the new South Africa had to happen as it did because of the socio-historical make-up of the country and the leading players involved.He identifies and explains some of the turning points at which critical choices were made by local and international forces. Alexander, a former leading political activist and commentator who spent time on Robben Island, goes beyond what he calls 'the effervescence of parliamentary debate and grandstanding' and explores a range of issues in post-apartheid South Africa including national identity and the rainbow nation, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and the role and status of language, showing the volatility, the tentativeness,and the fluidity of the evolving situation.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Herndon
United States
Product notice
Library binding
Illustrations
Bibliography; Index
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 161 mm
Thickness: 17 mm
Weight
511 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-57181-261-2 (9781571812612)
DOI
10.3167/9781571812612
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Neville Alexander (1936-2012) taught at the Faculty of Humanities, University of Cape Town.
Content
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations
Introduction
Chapter 1. 'Race' and Class in South African Historiography: An Overview
Chapter 2. Nationalism and the Dynamics of the Liberation Movement
Chapter 3. The Peculiarities of the Transition to Democracy in South Africa
Chapter 4. The Post-Apartheid State
Chapter 5. Nation Building and the Politics of Identity
Chapter 6. The Politics of Reconciliation
Chapter 7. South Africa: Example or Illusion?
Notes
Appendix: Extracts from the South African Constitution
Bibliography
Index
Abbreviations
Introduction
Chapter 1. 'Race' and Class in South African Historiography: An Overview
Chapter 2. Nationalism and the Dynamics of the Liberation Movement
Chapter 3. The Peculiarities of the Transition to Democracy in South Africa
Chapter 4. The Post-Apartheid State
Chapter 5. Nation Building and the Politics of Identity
Chapter 6. The Politics of Reconciliation
Chapter 7. South Africa: Example or Illusion?
Notes
Appendix: Extracts from the South African Constitution
Bibliography
Index