Politics and performance of a literacy intervention in Cape Town: School libraries and the new subjection of volunteerism. By Gabriela Penelopé Carolus Thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Sociology in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Stellenbosch University Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Supervisor: Dr T. Cousins Date: December 2016 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Declaration By submitting this thesis electronically, I declare that the entirety of the work contained therein is my own original work, that I am the authorship owner thereof (unless to the extent explicitly otherwise stated) and that I have not previously in its entirety or in part submitted it for obtaining any qualification. Signature: Date: December 2016 Copyright © 2016 Stellenbosch University of Stellenbosch All rights reserved 1 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Abstract Since 1994, policy-driven research in South Africa led by the Department of Education (DoE) and Library Information Sciences (LIS) in resource-poor schools has focused on the absence of teaching and learning the material, teacher support for poor numeracy, and literacy pass rates. In addition, research has been particularly concerned with teachers and poor literacy results across Grade 3 and 6 cohorts. I argue that "literacy" and "literacy rates" are complex political and educational concerns in South Africa. I argue further that a historical examination of the notion of a "school library" in South Africa, its deployment in education policies and programmes, and the effects of school libraries on individuals who work in them should inform our understanding of these concerns. Based on ethnographic research within a non-profit organisation in South Africa which aims to realise a school library in every school, I develop here a framework for understanding the complex processes that shape the school library as a particular kind of policy and political object. Investigating the school library in historical and political context allows for a more in-depth understanding of the outcome of a policy campaign and those implementing the policy. Through a close examination of the policy campaign, I aim to illustrate the relations between stakeholders and role-players in the context of the school library campaign developed by Equal Education and its spin-off, The Bookery. An ethnographic approach to the literacy campaign enabled me to develop an intimate knowledge of a particular non-governmental organisation and the complex relations between volunteers, employees, and activists. 2 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Opsomming Sedert 1994 lei die Departement van Onderwys (DvO) en Biblioteek Inligting Wetenskappe (BIW) beleid navorsing oor beleid in minderbevoorregte skole. Navorsing fokus veral op die afwesigheid van onderrig en leer- en onderrigmateriaal, onderwyser ondersteuning vir swak numeriese vaardighede, asook die verswakte geletterdheidslaag vereiste. Daar word ook klem gelê op die swak geletterdheid uitslae, met meer spesifieke fokus op Graad 3 en 6. My mening is dat “geletterdheid” en “geletterdheidstatistiek” van die komplekse politiese en opvoedkundige bekommernisse in Suid-Afrika is. Verder beklemtoon ek hoe die bogenoemde kwessies slegs verstaan kan word indien die historiese konteks van “die skoolbiblioteek” in Suid-Afrika in ag geneem word. Dit sluit in die voorgestelde implementering daarvan in opvoedkundige beleide en programme asook die ervaringe van en uitwerkings op individue wat in die skoolbiblioteek werk. Hierdie studie werk is gebaseer op etnografiese navorsing in ’n nie-winsgewende organisasie in Suid-Afrika wat beywer om ’n skoolbiblioteek in elke skool op te rig. Ek wil hiermee ’n raamwerk voorstel om die bogenoemde komplekse prosesse uit te wys. Die raamwerk dui aan dat die skoolbiblioteek as ’n politiese en beleid voorwerp. So ʼn kontekstueel histories- en politiese-ontleding van die skoolbiblioteek dra by tot ’n insiggewende begrip van die uitkomstes van ʼn spesifieke beleidsveldtog, asook die rolspelers was by die implementering daarvan betrokke is. Met deeglike ondersoek van beleidsveldtogte, illustreer ek die dinamiek tussen aandeelhouers en rolspelers soos dit uitspeel in die konteks van die skoolbiblioteek veldtog, wat onderskeidelike deur “Equal Education” en sy afstammeling, die “Bookery”, ontwikkel is. So ʼn etnografiese benadering tot die skoolbiblioteek veldtog het dit moontlik gemaak om intieme kennis van ʼn spesifieke nie-regerende organisasie op te doen en om die komplekse verhoudings tussen vrywilligers, werkers en aktiviste uit te beeld. 3 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Acknowledgements Thank you to my family and friends for providing the love and support and words of encouragement. Special thanks to my parents, Gary and Penelope Carolus, as well as my brother, Timothy Carolus, for your unfailing love and support. I am eternally thankful to the support from the Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology staff and fellow students. Special thanks to my friends and fellow mentors at Media24 Rachel’s Trust, Prof Rachel Jafta, Dr Llewellyn MacMaster, as well as Desmond Tutu TB Centre HPTN 071 (PopART) staff. I would like to thank all my participants, for allowing me to be in a complex space and to walk this journey with you. I would like to thank Stellenbosch University Postgraduate Funding Department, Stellenbosch University USB -ED as well as the HB Thom Bursar for your support. Lastly, I want to thank my supervisor, Dr Thomas Cousins, for your guidance, mentorship and inspiration. Your guidance has made this thesis a reality. 4 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Dedications I dedicate this thesis to the one who taught me to read. This is for the love of reading, Mom. 5 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za I Table of Contents Declaration ................................................................................................................................. 1 Abstract ...................................................................................................................................... 2 Opsomming ................................................................................................................................ 3 Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................... 4 Dedications ................................................................................................................................. 5 Table of Contents ....................................................................................................................... 6 List of figures ............................................................................................................................. 9 List of Acronyms ...................................................................................................................... 10 Chapter 1 .................................................................................................................................. 13 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 13 1.1 Overview ........................................................................................................................ 13 1.2 Rationale ......................................................................................................................... 13 1.3 After the “victory campaign”: Equal Education Book Donation site ............................. 14 1.4 Situating the school librarian .......................................................................................... 15 1.5 “Unpaid volunteer intern”: The start of an ethnographic journey .................................. 18 1.6 Research question and aims ............................................................................................ 19 1.7 Chapter Overview ........................................................................................................... 19 Chapter 2 .................................................................................................................................. 22 Methodology ............................................................................................................................ 22 2.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 22 2.2 Note on organisational ethnography ............................................................................... 22 2.3 Extended case method .................................................................................................... 23 2.4 Being there as intern: participant observation ................................................................ 24 2.5 Sampling ......................................................................................................................... 25 6 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za 2.6 Ethical considerations ..................................................................................................... 26 2.6.1 Gaining access ......................................................................................................... 26 2.6.2 Informed consent ....................................................................................................