The Representation of Nelson Mandela in Selected Grade 12 History Textbooks by Adrian Lionel Van Niekerk
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THE REPRESENTATION OF NELSON MANDELA IN SELECTED GRADE 12 HISTORY TEXTBOOKS BY ADRIAN LIONEL VAN NIEKERK Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Masters in Education (History Education) At the University of KwaZulu-Natal 2013 i DECLARATION I Adrian Lionel van Niekerk (213570470) declare that (i) The research reported in this dissertation, except where otherwise indicated, is my original work. (ii) This dissertation has not been submitted for any degree or examination at any other university. (iii) This dissertation does not contain other persons’ data, pictures, graphs or other information, unless specifically acknowledged as being sourced from other persons. (iv)This dissertation does not contain other persons’ writing, unless specifically acknowledged as being sourced from other researchers. Where other written sources have been quoted, then: a) their words have been re-written but the general information attributed to them has been referenced; b) where their exact words have been used, their writing has been placed inside quotation marks, and referenced. (v) This dissertation does not contain text, graphics or tables copied and pasted from the Internet, unless specifically acknowledged, and the source being detailed in the dissertation and in the References sections. Signed: SUPERVISOR’S DECLARATION As the candidate’s supervisor, I agree to the submission of this dissertation. ___________________ ________________ i Prof Johan Wassermann ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Firstly, I would like to thank God for all His mercy that He showed me and the strength that He gave me whilst completing this dissertation. I would sincerely like to thank my supervisor, Professor Johan Wassermann for being an outstanding mentor to me. I am grateful for all your words of advice and the dedication you showed in guiding me along the path of doing my research. Without you I would never have succeeded in grasping all the concepts related to this study. Thank you for making this dissertation a truly enjoyable venture. To my wife Susan, I would like to thank you for all the love and support that you gave me throughout the year, and for all the printing and proofing that you did for me. To my mother-in-law, Margaret Andersen, thank you for the encouragement you gave me and for allowing me to work in the quiet of your home. ii DEDICATION I dedicate this Masters in Education dissertation to my late friend, Richard John Clarke (1966-2013) iii ABSTRACT Nelson Mandela is South Africa’s most well- known and celebrated historical figure. He is represented ubiquitously throughout South Africa. This study has analysed the representation of Nelson Mandela in selected Grade 12 history textbooks. This study is situated in the interpretivist paradigm. I employed content analysis as my methodology in order to understand how Mandela is represented in the textbook sample. There were various representations that emerged from the analysis. All representations constructed a wholly positive image of Mandela. He was represented as a prisoner, a celebrity, a martyr, a leader, an intellectual, an activist, a sage, a negotiator, a peacemaker, a saviour, and a reconciler. He was also represented as having a strong personal attributes such as being principled, firm, determined, unselfish, uncompromising, compassionate and forgiving. He was closely associated with the concept of freedom and the idea of a prototypical South African. Finally, this study showed that all these representations can be gathered into one overarching representation that being Mandela as a messiah. Mandela’s representation as a messiah fulfils the social need of uniting a post- conflict society which is still in the process of constructing a new national identity. The goal of nation building is embedded in the curriculum which informs the content of the textbook. In pursuit of this goal, textbooks are a powerful medium in achieving such ends. Textbook producers are keen to please the authorities and thus regard Mandela as sacrosanct. In addition, by representing Mandela as a messiah, the textbook producers are giving South Africa what the public wants, a myth that will make South Africans feel good about themselves. In this study I concluded that the representation of Mandela in the textbook sample is an extension of the powerful mythology that surrounds him. Whilst post-1994 South African textbooks do not contain the old apartheid myths, new myths have since come to the fore. iv Key words: Mandela, history textbooks, myth, political myth, nation building ACRONYMS AAM Anti-Apartheid Movement ANC African National Congress CAPS Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement CODESA Convention for a Democratic South Africa DoBET Department of Basic Education and Training GNU Government of National Unity IFP Inkatha Freedom Party NCS National Curriculum Statement NDR National Democratic Revolution NEC National Executive Committee TRC Truth and Reconciliation Committee v CONTENTS DECLARATION………………………………………………………………………... i SUPERVISOR’S DECLARATION…………………………………………………… i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS…………………………………………………………….. ii DEDICATION………………………………………………………………………….. iii ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………………….. iv ACRONYMS…………………………………………………………………………… v CONTENTS……………………………………………………………………………. vi CHAPTER 1 PORTAL TO THE STUDY……………………………………………. 1 1.1 Introduction………………………………………………………………. 1 1.2 Political leadership context to my study………………………………. 2 1.3 Textbooks and curriculum development in South Africa……………. 6 1.4 Rationale and motivation for the study……………………………….. 10 1.5 Purpose and focus of the study……………………………………….. 11 1.6 Conceptual and theoretical framework……………………………….. 12 1.7 Research design and methodology…………………………………… 13 1.8 Outline of the dissertation……………………………………………… 15 1.9 Conclusion……………………………………………………………….. 17 CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW………………………….……………………. 18 2.1 Introduction………………………………………………………………. 18 2.2 The nature of textbooks………………………………………………… 20 2.3 The power of textbooks………………………………………………… 23 2.4 The importance of history textbooks………………………………….. 25 2.5 South African history textbooks……………………………………….. 29 2.6 The historiography of Nelson Mandela……………………………….. 36 2.7 Conclusion……………………………………………………………….. 55 CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY…………………… 56 3.1 Introduction………………………………………………………………. 56 3.2 Research design………………………………………………………… 57 3.2.1 Interpretivist paradigm…………………………………………. 57 3.2.2 Qualitative research……………………………………………. 58 3.2.3 Ontological and epistemological assumptions………………. 61 3.3 Research methodology…………………………………………………. 62 3.3.1 Content analysis………………………………………………… 62 3.3.2 Sampling…………………………………………………………. 67 Table 3.1 The Research Sample ……………………………………. 68 3.3.3 Ethical issues…………………………………………………… 69 Table 3.2 ………………………………………………………………. 69 3.3.4 Issues of trustworthiness………………………………………. 70 3.3.5 Methodological limitations……………………………………… 71 3.4 Conclusion……………………………………………………………….. 71 CHAPTER 4 DATA ANALYSIS...……………………………………………………. 73 4.1 Introduction………………………………………………………………. 73 4.2 The representation of Mandela’s character………………………….. 73 4.2.1 Mandela’s strong characteristics……………………………… 74 4.2.2 Mandela’s saintly characteristics……………………………… 76 vi 4.2.3 Mandela’s demeanour…………………………………………. 78 4.3 The roles ascribed to Nelson Mandela……………………………….. 79 4.3.1 Mandela as messiah…………………………………………… 80 4.3.2 Mandela as saviour…………………………………………….. 81 4.3.3 Mandela’s leadership roles……………………………………. 82 4.3.4 Mandela as a political prisoner………………………………... 85 4.3.5 Mandela as martyr……………………………………………… 86 4.3.6 Mandela as a celebrity…………………………………………. 86 4.3.7 Mandela as a negotiator……………………………………….. 86 4.3.8 Mandela as a reconciler……………………………………….. 89 4.3.9 Mandela as a man of peace…………………………………… 92 4.3.10 Mandela as a liberator………………………………………… 94 4.3.11 Mandela as an authoritative voice…………………………… 97 4.3.12 Mandela’s release a watershed……………………………… 99 4.4 Symbolism attached to Mandela………………………………………. 101 4.4.1 Mandela as an icon…………………………………………….. 102 4.4.2 Mandela as symbolising freedom…………………………….. 106 4.5 Conclusion……………………………………………………………….. 107 CHAPTER 5 DISCUSSION……….…………………………………………………. 109 5.1 Introduction………………………………………………………………. 109 5.2 The evaluation of the context of the textbooks………………………. 110 5.2.1 The meeting of the academic works and the textbooks…..... 110 5.2.2 Inaccuracies found in the textbooks………………………….. 114 5.2.3 Silences surrounding the representation of Mandela in the.. textbooks………………………………………………………… 119 5.3 Why Mandela is represented the way he is…………………………... 128 5.3.1 Political context of South Africa……………………………….. 128 5.3.2 The nature of school curriculum and textbooks……………... 132 5.3.3 The nature of the textbook industry………………………….. 140 5.3.4 Explaining Mandela as ‘messiah’……………………………... 142 5.3.5 The theory and function of myth……………………………… 144 5.4 Conclusion……………………………………………………………….. 151 CHAPTER 6 CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………. 154 6.1 Introduction……………………………………………………………..... 154 6.2 Review of the study……………………………………………………… 154 6.3 Summary of the findings………………………………………………... 159 6.4 Contribution of my study to research…………………………………. 165 6.5 Limitations……………………………………………………………….. 166 6.6 Implications for future research……………………………………….. 167 6.7 Personal and professional growth…………………………………….. 167 6.8 Conclusion……………………………………………………………….. 168 References…………………………………………………………………………….. 170 Appendix A: Ethical approval……………………………………………………….. 181 Appendix B: Turnitin Certificate…………………………………………………….. 182 vii CHAPTER 1 PORTAL TO THE STUDY 1.1 Introduction