Original Research - Special Collection: Practical Theology

Racism among white Afrikaner adolescents: The challenge of I-Thou (Buber) relations

Sebastiaan van Dyk
HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies | Vol 76, No 2 | a5240 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v76i2.5240 | © 2020 Sebastiaan van Dyk | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 23 August 2018 | Published: 11 June 2020

About the author(s)

Sebastiaan van Dyk, Department of Practical Theology, Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa

Abstract

This article was derived from my doctoral thesis, ‘Post-apartheid racism among Afrikaans speaking urban adolescents: A narrative-pastoral reflection’. The impetus for this study was the seemingly increasing occurrences of racism amongst post-apartheid Afrikaans-speaking urban adolescents in South Africa by taking a narrative practical theological perspective on the matter to help build meaningful cross-cultural dialogue. This study explored the level of dialogue of the participants using a postfoundational paradigm. Two questions guided the investigation: (1) How deeply embedded are objectifying of cross-cultural relationships? (2) How can we instigate honest dialogue aiding us in being more aware of our biases to embrace diversity and going forward as a unity in diversity? This study was conducted in 2016 amongst white Afrikaans-speaking urban adolescents living in Pretoria-East, South Africa. I had four group conversations (A, B, C and D) with my co-researchers (research participants), with six to eight adolescents per group. I made use of certain empirical research methods, such as narrative interviewing and group discussions. From an epistemological perspective, a postfoundational, social constructionist perspective, including an auto-ethnographical approach, was followed. The research indicated that Afrikaner adolescents could live life unquestioned from a position of power and objectivity that was culturally inherited. It was found that by objectifying relationships (I-It), diverse engagement becomes almost impossible. Consequently, this article advocates for a dialogical (I-Thou) approach towards building relationships in a context where people feel vulnerable and shameful, have fears, but also gain trust to contribute to meaningful dialogue with ‘others’.

Keywords

Racism; Afrikaner; Buber; Adolescents; Narrative

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