Late nationalism and democracy: Contending perspectives on South African nationalism, 1976--2002

This study examines contending perspectives on late nationalism and democracy in South Africa. Its basic argument is that liberal democracy in South Africa accommodated and left unresolved the contradictions of South African capitalism and the African National Congress' (ANC) multiracial nationalist discourse. More specifically, the delivery of equal political rights in the new democracy is premised on the acceptance of the unequal economic relations among different classes, gender and race.; Furthermore, the development of political and economic disagreements within Afrikaner nationalism, international pressures from the United States, the former Soviet Union, and changes in the global economy forced the National Party (NP) to negotiate with the ANC. The fall of the former Soviet Union weakened the Marxist elements within the ANC, which led to the ANC's adoption of the liberal-democratic model. That model provided an acceptable basis of coexistence by giving the African majority immediate rights of representation. The middle class of all races and ethnicities is threatened from above and below. Popular demands from below sometimes lead the ANC to partially satisfy the demands of the African majority. Pressure from economic interests and the business community limits the middle class' room for maneuver and forces it to make compromises at the expense of the majority's interests, priorities and needs (especially economic ones).; In short, this study seeks to understand the political and economic obstacles faced by South Africa's multiracial nationalism following the transition from apartheid to liberal democracy and without a simultaneous transformation of economic relations. It also examines how democracy operates in contemporary South Africa, and the challenges that face the experiment.; The present study looks at Afrikaner and South African nationalisms genealogically, i.e., in the way they were represented; taking into account the relations of power that shaped the two nationalisms. It uses history to get insights that may help us understand contemporary South Africa. It analysis how Afrikaners represented themselves through apartheid; how they interacted with other groups and how relations within the group changed. It also examines how the ANC represented itself, others, and how this representation changed. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...