A Study on the Role of the Media in Identity Formation Among Isixhosa Speaking Youth in Grahamstown with Focus on Sabc's Yo Tv
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A STUDY ON THE ROLE OF THE MEDIA IN IDENTITY FORMATION AMONG ISIXHOSA SPEAKING YOUTH IN GRAHAMSTOWN WITH FOCUS ON SABC’S YO TV THESIS Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS Pumeza Mabusela G09m4251 School of Languages: Department of African Languages Rhodes University Grahamstown January 2016 Supervisor: Associate Professor Pamela Maseko Co-Supervisor: Dr Dion Nkomo DECLARATION I, Pumeza Mabusela, hereby declare that this thesis is my own work. All citations, references and borrowed ideas have been properly acknowledged. This work has not been submitted previously in its entirety, or in any part, at any other higher education institution for degree purposes. It is being submitted for the degree of Master of Arts in the Faculty of Humanities, Rhodes University, South Africa. ……………………….. ………………………….. Pumeza Mabusela Date ii DEDICATION This thesis is dedicated to the most wonderful women in my life, my late grandmother, Thenjiwe Violet Mabusela, my late mother, Nomthandazo Mabusela, and last but not least the queen of my heart, Nokubonga Mabusela Damba, thank you Mamez for your unconditional love and support, ndiyabulela MaNdlovu. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS TO GOD BE THE GLORY! I wish to thank my family for their unconditional love and support throughout this experience. None of the words are enough for me to thank you; I don’t doubt that your reward will be from the Lord. Sanele Mabusela, Nokubonga Damba, Welile Damba, Tembelani Damba, Anetemba Damba, Pozisa Damba, Sinazo Mahlasela Mabusela and the Mabusela family at large – thank you for allowing me to fulfil my dream. I count you among my blessings. Special mention to Bhut’Sanele Mabusela, I am greatly indebted to you for all you have done for me. I would like to acknowledge and thank my supervisors, Dr Pamela Maseko and Dr Dion Nkomo for their help. Your assistance has made it possible for me to produce this work. To all GAM members in Grahamstown, thank you for your prayers. God is good all the time. To all my friends, thank you ever so much for your support. Special mention to Wanga Gambushe and Sisonke Mawonga- ndibone kuni ukuba kukude kulo thisisi, kodwa kuyafikwa I would like to thank all the research participants from Nombulelo High School and Mr Xolani Jonono who helped to co-ordinate all the learners. I equally thank the class of 2015 isiXhosa Mother Tongue I at Rhodes University. I would not have been able to do this if it was not for your help. I am grateful. Thank you to Mam’ Bulelwa Nosilela, Mam’ Ntosh Mazwi, Tat’ Jadezweni for your support. To all the isiXhosa Department Staff at Rhodes University, thank you. I would also like to acknowledge the Rhodes University Library Staff for all their help. The financial assistance from the National Research Foundation, through the Rhodes' NRF SARChI Chair: Intellectualisation of African Languages, Multilingualism and Education, is acknowledged. The views and opinions expressed here are, however, those of the author and should not be attributed to the NRF. The financial assistance from the National Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS), through the Catalytic Project on Concept Formation in African Languages, is acknowledged. The iv views and opinions expressed here are, however, those of the author and should not be attributed to the NIHSS. KUWO WONKE UMNTU ONDIXHASILEYO, NDIYABULELA KAKHULU. v ABSTRACT This study explores the use of African languages, more specifically isiXhosa, in the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). It does this by investigating the YO TV programme and its impact on identity formation amongst isiXhosa speaking youth. The research was conducted in Grahamstown which is located in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Young isiXhosa speakers were used as participants for questionnaires and focus group interviews. The location of the study within the Eastern Cape was driven by the fact that Grahamstown consists of mainly isiXhosa speakers, and young people are a big part of the population. Secondly, the participants were chosen in order to look at how isiXhosa and the Xhosa culture are represented in the YO TV programme through the lenses of young people who speak the language, and whether the representation of these two aspects plays a role in the formation of their identity. The goals of the research were to explore the relationship between language and youth identity, and the role of television in the construction of this identity. The research looked at the SABC’s YO TV which is a youth programme targeting South African youth who speak different languages and the role it plays in constructing the identity of isiXhosa speaking youth in relation to language and culture. It also examined for what purpose isiXhosa was used in the YO TV programme. The study further identified and critically analysed the already existing strategies used by the SABC to promote African languages in youth programs. The study made several findings, one of these being that there is a relationship that exists between language, culture and identity. As a result of this relationship, this study found that when one of these aspects is less represented on television, it affects the other(s). Thus, little representation of isiXhosa on YO TV has an impact on the identity formation of young isiXhosa speakers as they believe that language and culture are a part of who they are, their identity. This study also discovered that institutions of power such as the media play a key role in affirming the identity of young people. They play a role in influencing the way young people reason and do things. This study argues that television programmes such as the YO TV programme must use African languages, as well as English because the use of African languages adds value to how young people perceive them. The use of African languages on television will contribute to their growth and vi development. Moreover, the use of these languages in the media contributes in identity construction of young African language speakers. vii ISISHWANKATHELO Olu phando luhlola ukusetyenziswa kweelwimi zesiNtu, isiXhosa ncakasana, kwiSABC. Olu phando lukwenza oku ngokuphanda nzulu inkqubo iYO TV kunye negalelo layo ekwakhekeni kobuni kulutsha oluntetho yalo isisiXhosa. Olu phando lwenziwe eRhini, iRhini izinze kwiphondo leMpuma-Koloni eMzantsi Afrika. Kuye kwasetyenziswa abantu abatsha, abantetho yabo isisiXhosa njengabathathi-nxaxheba ukuphendula iphepha lemibuzo nokuthatha inxaxheba kudliwano-ndlebe lwamaqela. Ukutyunjwa kwendawo yaseMpumakoloni ukwenza olu phando kuqhutywe yinto yokuba uninzi lwabantu abahlala eRhini ngabantu abathetha isiXhosa, kwaye abantu abatsha ngabona baninzi kubemi balapha. Okwesibini, abathathi-nxaxheba bakhethwe ukuze kujongwe indlela isiXhosa kunye nenkcubeko yesiXhosa ezivezwa ngayo kwiYO TV, oku kwenziwa ngokuthi kusetyenziswe indlela ababona ngayo abantu abatsha abathetha isiXhosa, nokuba ukuboniswa kwale miba mibini ibalulekileyo kunendima okuyidlalyo na ekwakhekeni kobuni babo. Iinjongo zolu phando ibikukuhlola ubudlelane phakathi kolwimi nobuni bolutsha, kunye nendima kamabonakude ekwakhekeni kobu buni. Olu phando lujonge inkqubo yeSABC, iYO TV, neyinkqubo yolutsha ejolise kulutsha lwaseMzantsi Afrika oluthetha iilwimi ezahlukeneyo kunye nendima eyidlalyo ekwakheni ubuni bolutsha oluthetha isiXhosa ngokubhekisele kulwimi kunye nenkcubeko. Olu phando lukwavavanye nomsebenzi esithi isiXhosa sisetyenziselwe wona kwinkqubo iYO TV. Luthi luqhube ngokuchonga nokuhlalutya ngokubalulekileyo izicwangciso esele zikho zeSABC ukunyusela iilwimi zesiNtu kwiinkqubo zolutsha. Olu phando lufumene iziphumo ezininzi. Phakathi kwezinye, olu phando lufumanise ukuba bukhona ubudlelane obukhoyo phakathi kolwimi, inkcubeko kunye nobuni. Kwaye ngenxa yobu budlelane, olu phando lufumanise ukuba ukungavezwa kakuhle kwenye yezi zinto (kumabonakude) kuchaphazela enye okanye ezinye. Ngoko ke, ukusetyenziswa kancinci kwesiXhosa kwiYO TV kunegalelo ekwakhekeni kobuni bolutsha oluntetho isisiXhosa nanjengoko bekholelwa ukuba ulwimi kunye nenkcubeko ziyinxalenye yobuni babo. Olu phando lukwafumanise ukuba amaziko anamandla njengemidiya adlala indima ebalulekileyo ekuqinisekiseni ubuni babantu abatsha. Adlala indima ekuphembeleleni indlela abantu abatsha abacinga nabenza ngayo. viii Olu phando lubanga ngokuthi iinkqubo zikamabonakude ezifana neYO TV kufuneka zisebenzise iilwimi zesiNtu kunye nesiNgesi kuba ukusetyenziswa kweelwimi zesiNtu kongeza ixabiso kwindlela abantu abatsha abazibona ngayo. Ukusetyenziswa kweelwimi zesiNtu kumabonakude kuza kuba negalelo ekukhuleni nasekuphuhleni kwazo. Ngaphezulu, ukusetyenziswa kwezi lwimi kwimidiya kunegalelo ekwakhekeni kobuni babantu abatsha abathetha isiXhosa. ix TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION........................................................................................................................... ii DEDICATION.............................................................................................................................. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................ iv ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................. vi ISISHWANKATHELO ............................................................................................................. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................