Becoming and Unbecoming: A critical cartography of a student journey through the Fallist period

Date
2021-12
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South Africa's 'born-free' generation - those who were born during the country's transition to democracy - were reaching adulthood in the early 201 Os. In the years that followed, this new, post-Apartheid generation would enter the university system to claim the promise Of equal education and a better future that had been made in 1994. This promise had been broken as many black students faced social and economic barriers within the higher education System. The year 2015 witnessed the emergence Of a series protests at South Africa universities which addressed these issues Of exclusion through a movement known as Fallism. This research project is concerned with the initial protests that destabilised some Of the most prestigious South African universities. These included the #RhodesMustFall (RMF) and #FeesMustFall (FMF) protests, from which the name 'Fallism' was derived. Both Of these movements aimed at addressing issues Of access to higher education, while also calling attention to the pervasiveness Of colonial ideals which continued to privilege the country's white minority. Through the use Of Rosi Braidotti's (2014) cartographic methodology, this research project aims to situate Fallism socio-politically and historically. This will attempt to track the various actors and timelines that converged to create the movement in 2015. The movement embodied processes Of both becoming and unbecoming as institutions and students reckoned with who they are in the world, and who they want to become. Fallism will be discussed using Anuro Escobar's (2012 & 2018) theories Of Ontological design and how they function within the university space. The Fallist protests were both driven and documented through the use Online platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. This reflected a global trend Of activism, as discussed by Manuel Castells (2015). The research aims to consider Fallism in relation to social media and the Internet, exploring the digital space as a site Of both action and memory. The research questions what insights can be revealed from a cartographic exploration of Fallism, as it connects to both the past and to our future, thus giving us navigational tools for the present. As a researcher, I am part of the privileged white minority who was challenged by the Fallist discourse. Therefore I aim to situate myself in relation to the Fallist context through the use of auto-ethnography and digital storytelling. This journey is explored through the creation of a multi-layered digital story that makes use of found and original imagery to find connections between memory, media and theory.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die 'gebore -vry' generasie van Suid Afrika - diegene wat gebore is tydens die land se oorgang na demokrasie - het vroeg in die 2010'S volwassenheid bereik. In die daaropvolgende jare sou hierdie nuwe post-Apartheid-generasie die universiteitstelsel binnegaan om die belofte van gelyke onderwys en 'n beter toekoms wat in 1994 gemaak is, te eis. Hierdie belofte is verbreek, aangesien baie swart studente sosiale en ekonomiese hindernisse ondervind binne die hoer onderwysstelsel. In 2015 was daar 'n reeks protesoptredes by universiteite in Suid Afrika wat hierdie kwessies van uitsluiting aangespreek het deur 'n beweging bekend as Fallisme. Hierdie navorsingsprojek handel oor die aanvanklike protesoptredes wat sommige van die mees gesogte Suid Afrikaanse universiteite destabiliseer het. Dit sluit in die protesoptogte #RhodesMustFall (RMF) en #FeesMustFall (FMF), waaruit die naam 'Fallisme' OntStaan het. Albei hierdie bewegings was daarop gemik om kwessies oor toegang tot hoer onderwys aan te spreek, terwyl dit ook aandag vestig op die alomteenwoordigheid van koloniale ideale wat die wit minderheid van die land steeds bevoorreg het. Deur die gebruik van die kanografiese metodologie van Rosi Braidotti (2014), is hierdie navorsingsprojek daarop gemik om Fallisme sosiaal-polities en histories te plaas. Dit sal poog om die verskillende akteurs en tydlyne wat bymekaar gekom het om die beweging te skep in 2015, op te spoor. Die beweging verpersoonlik prosesse van wording en Onbetaamlikheid, aangesien instellings en studente reken wie hulle in die wéreld is en wie hulle wil word. Fallisme sal bespreek word aan die hand van Arturo Escobar (2012 en 2018) se teorieé oor Ontologiese Ontwerp en hoe dit binne die universiteitsruimte funksioneer. Die Fallist -betogings is beide gedryf en gedokumenteer deur die gebruik van aanlynplatforms SOOS Twitter en Facebook. Dit weerspieél 'n wereldwye tendens van aktivisme, soosbespreek deur Manuel Castells (2015). Die navorsing is daarop gemik om Fallisme in verband met sosiale media en die internet te oorweeg, en die digitale ruimte te Ondersoek as 'n plek vir aksie en herinnering. Die navorsing bevraagteken watter insigte geopenbaar kan word uit 'n kanografiese verkenning van Fallisme, aangesien dit aansluit by beide die verlede en Ons toekoms, en sodoende navigasiehulpmiddels aan die hede gee. As navorser is ek deel van die bevoorregte blanke minderheid wat uitgedaag is deur die Fallistiese diskoers. Daarom poog ek om myself in verhouding tot die Fallistiese konteks te plaas deur die gebruik van Outo-etnografie en digitale storievenelling. Hierdie reis word Ondersoek deur die skepping van 'n veelvlakkige digitale verhaal wat gebruik maak van gevinde en oorspronklike beelde om verbindings tussen geheue, media en teorie te vind.
Description
Thesis (MA(VA))--Stellenbosch University, 2021.
Keywords
Student movements -- South Africa, Education, Higher -- Social aspects -- South Africa, Cartography -- Methodology, #FeesMustFall, #RhodesMustFall, Decolonization -- South Africa, Rhodes University -- Students, Stellenbosch University -- Students, Students, Black -- South Africa
Citation