The story of Charlotte Maxeke : an analysis of how visual arts can be utilised to reflect on race, gender, identity and citizenship in the South African higher educational context

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The history of South Africa represents oppressive systems of racial discrimination and subjugation, systems that were used in the construction of social institutions. Grounded in the institutionalisation of inequality, the Apartheid systematic policies on education favoured 'whites in the expense of 'non-whites majority of South Africans. With the fall of apartheid in 1994 came the need for transformation that could lead to a new and allinclusiveSouth African society. The new South African government set out to reconstruct a community by emphasising the importance of education, culture and art, as well as by celebrating diversity.The purpose of this study was to celebrate, bring awareness to, and further educate Stellenbosch University students who participated in this study on the history of CharlotteMaxeke. The study topic was chosen to discover the different ways in which the students reacted to the story of Charlotte Maxeke as well as the way in which knowing this historyenabled them to contribute to socio-political classroom discussions. The study topic was further chosen to identify the ways in which students understand and define race, gender, identity and citizenship in South Africa by conducting an analysis of how visual arts can be utilised to reflect on these constructs in the South African higher educational context. The research aimed to investigate the story of Charlotte Maxeke and to identify to what extent the process of art making contributed to reflective learning.The research design method was a case study, as an interpretive approach to research. Inductive content analysis was conducted to analyse the data. Data were collected in a silk screen printmaking studio, on the Stellenbosch University campus, among 22 second-year Fine Arts students who participated in the workshop. Data were also captured through recorded classroom discussions and written artist statements. Data and samples were selected on the basis of the participants' views and perceptions of the story of Charlotte Maxeke, and how these were addressed through the process of visual art. The data collected were further organised into themes and subthemes. The first main theme identified was citizenship, with globalisation and transformation as sub-themes. The second main theme that emerged from the data was race and cultural identity, with gender and domination and sensitivity as sub-themes, with the value of art as a medium for learning as the third main theme.The conclusions and implications of this study were established regarding the story of Maxeke as a catalytic foundation that was used to address certain discourses through the medium of art, suggesting that young South African students should participate in the visual arts as a way to free expression and creative thought through the process of art making and engagements with indigenous narratives such as Maxeke's.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University