Description
Book SynopsisExamines the importance of black racial nationalism on political thought in South Africa with particular reference to its impact on rival conceptions of citizenship in the state. This book analyses the issues of dual citizenship, racial proletarianization, and the interaction of these positions with various political persuasions and ideologies.
Trade ReviewDespite its brevity this is a comprehensive analytical survey of the multidimensional evolution of black political thought in South Africa's politicization process. The author sums up his argument as follows: Non—racial and race conscious populist discourse bisects every other ideological confrontation in black South African political experience. Examining numerous categories of intellectual origins of South Africa's current political thought—nationality and race; racial proletarianization; liberalism, populism and socialism; the New Left; and a black republican synthesis— he follows a demanding methodology that utilizes generic and relevant comparative evidence from other divided societies. Highlighting a variety of unresolved problems, e.g., the conflict between Western—oriented individual and traditional communal rights, or black power versus civil rights in the search for equal access to political rights for all races, he notes the extent to which these issues create unresolved tensions in postapartheid South Africa. While the author believes that South Africans are engaged in contradictory patterns of Western and traditional political behavior, he nevertheless sees the potential for the coexistence of these dualities. The extensive footnotes and bibliography suggest the author's rich source of evidence. This is not an easy read but merits the effort. Recommended for upper—division undergraduates and above.
-- M. E. Doro * emeritus, Connecticut College , 2000dec CHOICE. *
Table of ContentsForeword
Chapter 1: Nationality and Race
Chapter 2: Racial Proletarianization: Movements in the Evolution of A Concept
Chapter 3: Liberalism, Populism, and Socialism
Chapter 4: A New Left Battles Apartheid
Chapter 5: The Black Republican Synthesis
Chapter 6: An Enduring Duality
