South Africa's home policy and its foreign relations : a study of transitions since 1990

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis is a study of South African transitions. A transition, within thecontext of South African contemporary history, usually refers to the period inthe early 1990s when South Africa underwent a negotiated transition fromracial minority rule to a full democracy in 1994. This thesis takes a liberalunderstanding of South Africa's transition timeline and is not confined just toSouth Africa's political transition, but also examines transitions withintransitions. This will be done through three studies beginning with a survey ofthe global political transitions that took place against the backdrop of SouthAfrica's domestic political transition in the early 1990s. Secondly, we will lookat the role that national historical identity plays in diplomacy and internationalrelations and, more specifically, at the cultivation of a new historic identity inSouth Africa's international relations. Lastly, we will examine the policytransitions that came in the 'new South Africa through a case study of thenationalization debate. All three of these focuses will be studied through thelens of South Africa's foreign relations with China and the United States whichprovides a unique vantage point for viewing the complexities. The goal of thisthesis is to develop a broader understanding of transitions in South Africa andthe role that the United States and China played in them. As this theme isinterrogated, some of the continuities and discontinuities will be exposedbetween the 'old and 'new South Africa.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University