Taal en die magsdinamika van die Afrikaner: ’n antropologiese perspektief

This article deals with the relation between language and power in the (re)production of Afrikaner culture. Against a historical background the author first considers current Afrikaners’ uncertainty about a suitable way to understand “themselves”. Secondly, the use of Afrikaans to establish and maintain the Afrikaner’s position of power is reviewed. Thirdly, it is argued that it is anthropologically important to realise that people themselves give active content to their destiny; they are not passive victims of inevitable, arbitrary processes of assimilation, identification or the abuse of power.

Sengodilweng sena se buwa ka dikamano pakeng tsa puo le matla, kahobotjheng ya botjhaba ba Moafrikaner. Ho latela nalane, sengodi, sethathong se shebana le ho qeyaqeya ha ha jwale hara Maafrikaner, malebana le mokgwa wa ho “ikutlwisisa” ka bo bona. Ntlha ya bobedi, ho hlahlojwa tshebediso ya Afrikaans ho theha le ho matlafatsa matla a Moafrikaner. Ya boraro, ho etswa tlhahiso ya hore ho latela thuto ka tsa botho, ho bohlokwa hore ho hlokomelwe hore batho ka bo bona ba susumetsa pheletso ya bokamoso ba bona, mme ha se bashebelli feela, ha ba sheshenellwa feela ka tsela e se nang taolo, e ke keng ya qojwa, boleng ba bona kapa tlasa tshebediso e mpe ya matla.