| An Ordinary Country: Issues in the Transition from Apartheid to Democracy in South Africa Contributor(s): Alexander, Neville (Author) |
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ISBN: 157181261X ISBN-13: 9781571812612 Publisher: Berghahn Books OUR PRICE: $128.25 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: August 2003 Annotation: Disputing the notion of a 'miracle' transition in South Africa, the author argues that the new South Africa had to happen as it did because of the socio-historical make-up of the country and the leading players involved.He identifies and explains some of the turning points at which critical choices were made by local and international forces. Alexander, a former leading political activist and commentator who spent time on Robben Island, goes beyond what he calls 'the effervescence of parliamentary debate and grandstanding' and explores a range of issues in post-apartheid South Africa including national identity and the rainbow nation, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and the role and status of language, showing the volatility, the tentativeness, and the fluidity of the evolving situation. Neville Alexander teaches at the Faculty of Humanities, University of Cape Town |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Political Science | Political Process - General - History | Africa - South - Republic Of South Africa - Political Science | Political Ideologies - Democracy |
| Dewey: 320.968 |
| LCCN: 2003052449 |
| Series: Approaches to Cultural History |
| Physical Information: 0.56" H x 6.14" W x 9.21" (1.10 lbs) 228 pages |
| Themes: - Cultural Region - Southern Africa |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Disputing the notion of a 'miracle' transition in South Africa, the author argues that the new South Africa had to happen as it did because of the socio-historical make-up of the country and the leading players involved.He identifies and explains some of the turning points at which critical choices were made by local and international forces. Alexander, a former leading political activist and commentator who spent time on Robben Island, goes beyond what he calls 'the effervescence of parliamentary debate and grandstanding' and explores a range of issues in post-apartheid South Africa including national identity and the rainbow nation, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and the role and status of language, showing the volatility, the tentativeness, and the fluidity of the evolving situation. |
Contributor Bio(s): Alexander+ Neville: - Neville Alexander+ taught at the Faculty of Humanities, University of Cape Town. |