Dizu Plaatjies and the Amampondo : music, agency and social transformation

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Using different concepts that include Arjun Appadurai's (2004) 'capacity to aspire, Pierre Bourdieu's (1990) 'habitus, Clifford Geertz's (1973b) 'thick description and Christopher Small's (1998) 'musicking, this thesis focuses on reimagining discourse on transformation in post-1994 South Africa in terms of socio-economic empowerment through music. The research presents a case of how culture (specifically music) has been used by Dizu Plaatjies and the Amampondo musical group, viewed as social actors, as a capacity for social transformation. Drawing from the ongoing discourses on transformation, as well as the recent university student uprisings in South Africa (the fallisms '#RhodesMustFall and '#FeesMustFall), this thesis argues that culture is a 'web of significance and a 'logic that holds the potential for a holistic transformation of post-1994 South Africa. The research suggests that transformation and social development must be located in the lived experiences of ordinary people, especially the historically disadvantaged. Discourse on transformation, including musical discourse, should be focused on empowerment strategies of South Africans at grassroots level.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University