Party politics: An exploration of Cape Town queer nightlife and what it reveals about the politics of space and identification in post-apartheid South Africa

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dc.contributor.advisorDubbeld, Bernarden_ZA
dc.contributor.authorMeyer, Simonnen_ZA
dc.contributor.otherStellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Sociology and Social Anthropology.en_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2022-11-21T14:24:23Z
dc.date.accessioned2023-01-16T12:49:38Z
dc.date.available2022-11-21T14:24:23Z
dc.date.available2023-01-16T12:49:38Z
dc.date.issued2022-12
dc.descriptionThesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis aims to examine the way in which space and identity are related and co-constructed, by utilizing Queer Nightlife as a lens through which spatiality and identity operate in post-apartheid South Africa. By exploring space and identity through the lens of Queer Nightlife spaces, this study also subsequently captured the utility and limitations of the Queer political project. This study focuses on Queer Nightlife spaces in Cape Town, and more specifically in Cape Town’s ‘Gay Village’, De Waterkant. Methodologically, this study made use of qualitative interviews with queer-identifying individuals between the ages of 18 to 40, along with critical ethnography that was centered on fieldwork expeditions to two Queer Nightlife spaces. Critical discourse analysis and Butler’s Theory of performativity were used to analyze findings and to investigate how queer performativity operates within the Queer Nightlife space. The argument this thesis makes, is that Queer, which is a radical and transformative politic, has shifted towards queer identity politics within the neoliberal, capitalist setting of Cape Town. The findings of this thesis illustrates that the utility and praxis of Queer Theory and Queer Politics is undermined when Queer is presented as a stable, universal identity. This thesis argues that Queer Nightlife spaces in Cape Town illustrate how this shift towards queer identity politics operates and highlights how the stable identity that is performed and celebrated in these spaces takes on a raced, gendered, and classed form that is centered on consumption and desire. This study is therefore a critical reflection on the operation of Queer politics in post-apartheid South Africa.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis het ten doel om die wyse waarop ruimte en identiteit verband hou en saamgekonstrueer word, te ondersoek deur die gebruik van Queer naglewe as 'n lens waardeur ruimtelikheid en identiteit in post-apartheid Suid-Afrika funksioneer. Deur ruimte en identiteit deur die lens van Queer naglewe-ruimtes te verken, het hierdie studie ook daarna die nut en beperkings van die Queer-politieke projek vasgevang. Hierdie studie fokus op Queer naglewe-ruimtes in Kaapstad, en meer spesifiek in Kaapstad se ‘Gay Village’, De Waterkant. Metodologies het hierdie studie gebruik gemaak van kwalitatiewe onderhoude met queer-identifiserende individue tussen die ouderdomme van 18 tot 40, tesame met kritiese etnografie wat gesentreer was op veldwerkekspedisies na twee Queer naglewe-ruimtes. Kritiese diskoersanalise en Butler se teorie van performatiwiteit is gebruik om bevindinge te ontleed en om te ondersoek hoe queer performatiwiteit binne die Queer naglewe-ruimte funksioneer. Die argument wat hierdie tesis aanvoer, is dat Queer, wat 'n radikale en transformerende politiek is, verskuif het na queer identiteitspolitiek binne die neoliberale, kapitalistiese omgewing van Kaapstad. Die bevindinge van hierdie tesis illustreer dat die nut en praktyk van Queer Theory en Queer Politics ondermyn word wanneer Queer as 'n stabiele, universele identiteit voorgestel word. Hierdie tesis argumenteer dat Queer naglewe-ruimtes in Kaapstad illustreer hoe hierdie verskuiwing na queer-identiteitspolitiek funksioneer en beklemtoon hoe die stabiele identiteit wat in hierdie ruimtes uitgevoer en gevier word, 'n gerassifiseerde, geslagtelike en geklasde vorm aanneem, wat gesentreer is op verbruik en begeerte. Hierdie studie is dus 'n kritiese besinning oor die werking van Queer-politiek in post-apartheid Suid-Afrika.af_ZA
dc.description.versionMastersen_ZA
dc.format.extent142 pagesen_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/126091
dc.language.isoen_ZAen_ZA
dc.publisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.rights.holderStellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.subjectNightlifeen_ZA
dc.subjectGay rightsen_ZA
dc.subjectGays -- Political activityen_ZA
dc.subjectNightclubs -- South Africa -- Cape Townen_ZA
dc.subjectCritical discourse analysisen_ZA
dc.subjectGays -- Identityen_ZA
dc.subjectGays -- Post-apartheid era -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.subjectGays and the performing artsen_ZA
dc.subjectQueer theoryen_ZA
dc.subjectQueer identityen_ZA
dc.subjectUCTD
dc.titleParty politics: An exploration of Cape Town queer nightlife and what it reveals about the politics of space and identification in post-apartheid South Africaen_ZA
dc.typeThesisen_ZA
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