Browsing Faculty of Humanities by Subject "Cultural pluralism"
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Chebanne, A. (Routledge (Taylor and francis) www.routledge.com, NaN, 2010)[more][less]
Abstract: The Khoisan people are one of the indigenous peoples of Southern Africa. Botswana has the greatest diversity of these autochthonous communities. As ethnic minorities, they are characterized in the main by small numbers, aboriginality, and necessitousness compared to other ethnic communities who readily engage modern socioeconomic dynamics of the country. They are generally marginalized and their ethnic and social identity is completely eclipsed because in Botswana they are lumped together in cultural and language development with the main society and this has only exacerbated their plight as they are reeling under assimilation and marginalization. This situation has the effect of ethno-linguistic endangerment as they lose their individual ethnic and linguistic identities. Their agitations for ethno-linguistic preservation rights have been put in the lime-light by Human Rights NGOs. This paper examines the condition of these people within the current monolithic cultural framework, which has the effect of annihilating the Khoisan. It argues that handling the Khoisan issues within a multicultural discourse framework would be the most palpable way to cater for their continued existence as indigenous communities. It is through their languages, their preserved ethnicity, and within a framework of multicultural discourses that they can best communicate their identity through their culture. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/999 Files in this item: 1
Chebanne_JMD_2010.pdf (1.755Mb) -
Lubinda, J. (Routledge (Taylor and francis), www.routledge.com, NaN, 2010)[more][less]
Abstract: Botswana is a multilingual and a multi-ethnic nation that has had a thriving multi-party democracy, peace, and stability since independence, in 1966. Despite the superficial impression that a casual observer may have of a socalled mono-ethnic and monocultural society, Botswana is in fact home to more than 30 tribes with diverse cultures. Over the past four decades, it has scored many successes in education, health infrastructure, and the economy in general. There is one area, however, where it still needs to make much progress, namely in the governance of cultural diversity. For many years after independence, official discourse has been in favor of a culturally and lingusistically homogenous society. This was the legacy of the colonial administration that aimed at promoting only the culture and the cultural interests of the Setswana-speaking tribes. In recent years, however, the political and administrative leaderrship has begun to embrace diversity and multiculturalism, as can be determined from official pronouncements and participation in social events that celebrate cultural and liguistic diversity. The article attempts to show how attitudes have evolved in the course of time and who has been active in advocating for recognition of minority ethic groups and their rights in matters of representation in the House of Chiefs, language use in education, collective land rights, etc. It shows the role of civil society organizations and cultural associations as well as that of the University of Botswana in agitation for equality. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/970 Files in this item: 1
Lubinda_JMD_2010.pdf (1.753Mb)
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