Zooming-in, zooming-out: Addressing ideology on a post-Apartheid South African university campus

Sharon Rudman

doi:10.14426/cristal.v8i1.227

Abstract

Ideologically constructed notions of the ‘other’ serve to entrench divisions and effectively keep those perceived as ‘different’ at arm’s length. In South Africa, the practice of defining oneself and others according to racial and ethnic categories continues to dictate perceptions of identity. Because of the nature of ideology, such perceptions prove elusive and difficult to address, particularly so for those most influenced by such beliefs. This paper suggests that a curriculum which aims to disrupt such common-sense notions could be well-served by the inclusion of sound theoretical content on ideology, linked to simple and transferable strategies which could be used to address ideological notions. The strategies of ‘zooming-in’ and ‘zooming-out’ were developed within the context of a first year university course on ‘language and ideology’ and have proven to be effective in enabling students to engage with ideological assumptions, including those relating to the identity of the ‘other’.

Highlights

The classroom provides an opportunity to introduce students to the concept of ideology and, in application, to expose and examine ideological notions which otherwise operate imperceptibly
This paper argues that teaching students strategies to address ideology, informed by sound theoretical input on the nature and operation of ideology, equips them to engage with problematic assumptions and habits of thought in both the world around them, as well as within their own thinking
Despite more than two decades of democracy, the way we see one another is still largely determined by ideological constructions of identity as determined by the apartheid era (Alexander, 2002)

Summary

Introduction

The classroom provides an opportunity to introduce students to the concept of ideology and, in application, to expose and examine ideological notions which otherwise operate imperceptibly. In. South Africa, ideological notions of the ‘other’ continue to cause division and conflict in our society. Soudien (2012) explains that, during apartheid times, the practice of defining ourselves, as well as others, according to race was normalised. Despite more than two decades of democracy, the way we see one another is still largely determined by ideological constructions of identity as determined by the apartheid era (Alexander, 2002). Most of us are impervious to this skewed perception of those around us because, as Soudien (2012: 22) explains, ‘the ideological disguise which gives race discourse its character is that it pretends not to be there, feigns ignorance, eludes identification and seeks alibis when it is and pervasively present and active’

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Conclusion