'Coercive Agency': James Henderson's Lovedale, 1906-1930
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‘COERCIVE AGENCY’: JAMES HENDERSON’S LOVEDALE, 1906-1930 by GRAHAM ALEXANDER DUNCAN Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF THEOLOGY In the subject MISSIOLOGY at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA PROMOTER: PROF WA SAAYMAN SEPTEMBER 2000 ****************** Student Number: 3053-918-8 I declare that “Coercive Agency: James Henderson’s Lovedale. 1906-1930” is my own work and that all the sources that I have used or quoted have been indicated by means of complete references. iw tc— 1 H-l-v 2wOTT) SIGNATURE DATE ■l . -rw— z" " J 2 f % | n : | 4 DUNC 3 7 1 • 0 7 1 5 ^ ° ^ ^ 11 TABLE OF CONTENTS Declaration ...................................................................................................... i Table of contents .................................................................................................. ii Summary: Key terms ........................................................................................... vi Acknowledgments ............................................................................................... vii Abbreviations ..................................................................................... viii Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 The aim of the study ......................................................................... 1 1.2 Setting the scene .............................................................................. 4 1.3 Mission in context .......................................................................... 5 1.4 The phase of mission history under review .................................. 7 1.5 Coercive agency .............................................................................. 9 1.6 The thesis in outline ........................................................................ 12 Chapter 2 INSTITUTIONALISATION 2.1 Lovedale Missionary Institution as an institution ............................ 13 2.1.1 The mission station ......................................................................... 15 2.2 Institutionalisation in sociological perspective ................................ 23 2.2.1 Roles in institutionalisation ............................................................ 27 2.2.2 The exercise of hegemony .............................................................. 30 2.2.3 The ‘subject’ of power .................................................................... 37 2.2.4 The scope and nature on institutionalisation ................................. 47 2.2.5 The legitimation of institutionalised tradition .............................. 49 2.2.5.1 Symbolic universes as a prime focus of legitimation ..................... 50 2.2.5.2 The role of English in coercive agency ....................................... 53 2.2.6 The scope of social control .......................................................... 63 2.2.7 Total institutions ......................................................................... 68 Chapter 3 LOVEDALE UNDER WILLIAM GOVAN 3.1 The beginnings of Lovedale .......................................................... 83 3.2 Rev William Govan ........................................................................ 86 3.3 The opening of Lovedale Institution ................ 86 3.4 The beginnings of a coercive system .................... 90 3.4.1 The role of conversion ......................... 92 3.4.2 The classical language .................................................................. 94 3.4.3 Industrial education ...................................................................... 96 3.4.4 Time and space in institutional perspective ................................ 106 3.4.4.1 The organisation of space .............................................................. 104 3.4.4.2 The organisation of time ................................................................ 108 3.4.4.3 The organisation of dress ............................................................... 109 3.5 The winds of change ...................................................................... I ll 3.6 Assessment ..................................................................................... 118 Chapter 4 LOVEDALE UNDER JAMES STEWART 4.1 Rev Dr James Stewart .................................................................. 122 4.2 Stewart’s programme for Lovedale .............................................. 123 4.2.1 Mission Statement ......................................................................... 124 4.2.2 The object of education ................................................................. 127 4.2.3 Methods at Lovedale ..................................................................... 128 4.2.4 The goal of mission education ...................................................... 129 4.2.5 Stewart’s educational principles ................................................... 132 4.3 The organisation of space ...................... 141 4.4 The organisation of time ............................................................... 145 4.5 Ideological perspective ................................................................ 148 4.6 Character formation ...................................................................... 160 4.7 Resistance to coercive agency ....................................................... 168 4.7.1 Resistance in education ................................................................ 170 4.7.2 Resistance through the written word ..................... 175 4.7.3 Resistance through the formation of African Initiated Churches .. 180 4.8 Assessment ................................................................................... 192 Chapter 5 LOVEDALE UNDER JAMES HENDERSON 5.1 Rev Dr James Henderson ........... 196 5.2 The aim of education at Lovedale ............................................... 201 5.3 Twentieth century liberal ideology ............................................ 205 5.4 In Stewart’s footsteps? ............................................................... 214 5.5 Character formation .................................................................... 225 5.6 Industrial education .................................................................... 248 5.7 Appearances can be deceptive .................................................. 255 5.8 Resistance to coercive agency .................................................... 258 5.8.1 Resistance in politics ..................................................................... 259 5.8.2 Resistance as public resistance ...................................................... 268 5.8.3 Resistance through arson .............................................................. 283 5.8.4 Resistance in sports ...................................................................... 285 5.8.5 Resistance to resistance through literary efforts ..................... 288 5.8.6 Resistance in sickness (and in health) .................................... 296 5.9 Assessment 298 Chapter 6 A FUTURE FOR COERCIVE AGENCY? 6.1 Summary ..................................... 304 6.2 Coercive agency as‘exclusion’ and ‘embrace’ ............................. 308 6.3 Coercive agency in missiological perspective ........................... 322 6.4 Conclusion ................................................................................... 329 BIBLIOGRAPHY ................ ................................................................... 331 VI SUMMARY Any society is by nature coercive and its institutions are no exception. This was true of mission institutions in South Africa. While acknowledging the invaluable contribution of mission education to the development of black South Africans predominantly, it is clear that Lovedale Missionary Institution exemplifies the concept and reality of a ‘total institution’ which was as susceptible to the problems of power relations as any institution, secular or religious. Idris Shah’s concept of ‘coercive agency’ is apposite for this study. Lovedale’s foundation was laid and developed by the first two Principals. In a very real sense, it was perfected by the third Principal of Lovedale, James Henderson who, like his predecessors, emphasised the ultimate aim of conversion through a thorough process of character formation which infiltrated every aspect of life at Lovedale, especially discipline and the programme of industrial education. Those who studied there internalised its ethos in a manner which could not simply be discarded on leaving the Institution for it had become part of their identity, their indigenous personality and traditional life-style having been largely obliterated and reconstructed according to the ideological ideals of western Christian civilisation and European colonialism. Coercive agency was successful in that it effectively encouraged adaptation to missionary ideology. However, this was not an irreversible process for many Lovedale students came to reject the mores of the religion and education they received both during their stay at Lovedale and in later life in a variety of ways as they challenged and resisted the effects of the coercive agency of internalisation. Institutionalisation is, by nature, resistant to change as can be seen in the policies of the respective Principals. Yet, Henderson was able to initiate change while maintaining essential continuity of purpose. Consequently, black people were alienated by a process of ‘exclusion’. The Christian principles of justice, love and peace have a universal application and are appropriate tools for the development of a new model