A discourse analysis of the racial talk and identity construction of a group of working class Afrikaans-speakers

Abstract

This research project set out to explore the racial identities of a selected group of South African whites who were Afrikaans-speaking, Unstructured, in-depth interview techniques were employed, in which the conversations with the participnnts were recorded and transcribed, These transcripts were then subjected tr) a discourse analysis, whereby any possible effeci s and functions of the talk were examined, A number of theoretical approaches informed this task. These included Foucault's concept of discourse and his account of the functioning of disciplinary power in modern societies. Adorno and Horkheimer's ideas 011 prejudice and racism were also found to be of t;!C,lt relevance to this research, as well i1S Altlmsser's formulation of the concept of ideology, ideological state apparatuses, incerpellation and subject positioning. The relationship between psychic and social structures was also explored in the light of Adorno and Horkhelmer's fermulation of prejudice M ,\ defence mechanism. Within this broad framework, it was shown that aside from its overt content, racise talk could be described as having important ideological effects. These included normalisation. legitimation and j\lstificatioll of the existing unequal relations ill. society. The discourse analytic striitcgy facilitated an ,111;11Y5is of the conditions under which the participants were constructed .\S subjects, and the manner In which the terms they used (such I\S race, culture and nation) were imbricated with broader discursive and ideological formations, The influence of social class, gender and uge variables in the interview settings were also evaluated.