The Adam Tas student association and the tension between Afrikaans identity and transformation at Stellenbosch University

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: After 1994, transformation interventions in all sectors of South African society were needed to adequately address socio-economic disparities caused by apartheid policies. The objective of equalising conditions between 'racially' divided categories within the education sector was thus a high priority for the newly elected democratic government. Higher education institutions, including Stellenbosch University (SU) also recognised the need for transformation to eradicate 'racial' inequalities at formerly white Afrikaans institutions. However, given these inequalities, the interventions at SU led to disagreements over language policy that resulted in a fiery taaldebat (language debate). This in turn, also gave rise to tensions between maintaining an Afrikaans identity for the university versus transforming it into a multicultural one in which English as medium of instruction would be increasingly used. It is precisely because SU was still grappling with the above that I decided to embark on a study that investigated the complexities emerging in the nexus between transformation, language and identity, by focusing on a student initiative, the Adam Tas association.This study seeks to understand how the process of transformation is unfolding at a historically Afrikaans university (HAU) where identity politics plays a major role in terms of linguistic and 'racial' matters. The second objective is to provide a better understanding of what the Adam Tas student association entails as well as to investigate its goals and actions in a broader contextual perspective. My research is also geared towards discovering what the future of teaching in Afrikaans might be on university and national level. Lastly, this anthropological study attempts to provide the reader with an alternative understanding of the challenges that are associated with the transformation process of a HAU, within the larger context of higher education transformation in South Africa.The uncertainty surrounding the 'higher functions' of Afrikaans, brought about by the implementation of a more inclusive language policy at SU, resulted in the establishment of Adam Tas by a group of students. The association's motto of 'Transformation through Afrikaans‟ is indicative of Adam Tas's strong association with only one language, Afrikaans. This emphasis on Afrikaans is thus contradictory to its claim of supporting the inclusion and integration of all diverse 'racial' categories. Despite Adam Tas's claim that it is in agreement with university management regarding SU being in need of transformation, the vision of this association is also contradictory to one of the goals of university management: transforming Stellenbosch University into a non-ethnic university.In drawing conclusions on the discourse of identity, my research showed that Adam Tas is still viewed by many non-white, non-Afrikaans-speakers at SU as a white, Afrikaner association with a right-wing agenda, despite its numerous efforts to rid the association of this exclusive image. Another finding regarding Adam Tas is that it is promoting Afrikaner culture through its numerous activities and social events which have strong links to white, Afrikaner culture. The fact that the majority of its membership is white and Afrikaans-speaking, contributes to the association‟s white, Afrikaner identity, in a concrete and visible manner.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University