Discourse, Memory, and Post-Apartheid South African Archives

15 Pages Posted: 22 Dec 2019

See all articles by Scott Timcke

Scott Timcke

University of Johannesburg; Independent

Date Written: July 13, 2015

Abstract

Drawing upon recent literature in archival studies and memories, this paper provides a theoretical treatment of how political interests use discourse to shape not only the memories of persons, but their subjectivity. Put abstractly, at some point epistemology has to turn into ontology; deliberately partial epistemologies are significant insofar that it can control the ontological status of persons, and thus the kinds of political claims they are able to make. I use post-Apartheid South Africa archival transformations as an illustrative case. Herein, I suggest that the deliberate and conscious transformation of production of history and of its public representation in South Africa is used as a political tool to legitimize rule. In this we see attempts to gain ownership and control over archives and their content as involved in justifying a particular means of rule through the creation of idealized past.

Suggested Citation

Timcke, Scott, Discourse, Memory, and Post-Apartheid South African Archives (July 13, 2015). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2630403 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2630403

Scott Timcke (Contact Author)

University of Johannesburg ( email )

South Africa

Independent ( email )

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