The Theatre of Violence: Narratives of protagonists in the South African conflict

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Author:

Don Foster, Mar de Beer, Paul Haupt

Subject:

Humanities, Social Sciences

Institution Name:

University of Cape Town

Collection:

University of Cape Town

Grade Level:

Post-secondary

Abstract:

While many accounts have focused on the victims of state repression this unique volume documents the often contradictory and confusing stories of those who acknowledge having committed some dreadful deeds Individuals on various sides of the apartheid divide from state security structures to the ANC PAC and grassroots activists tell their own stories The central focus is to give an account of the actions of the perpetrators here depicted as competing protagonists in an arena of violence It examines the violence forensically through its public and popular representations academically and finally through the narrative approach drawing on a rich analysis of stories from different sides. The authors also offer the first critical examination of the TRCs amnesty process show how media representations of perpetrators inform public perceptions and scrutinise international scholarly writings on the issue of political violence Suggestive and intriguing The Theatre of Violence opens a fresh examination of the erstwhile taken for granted understandings and attempts to address a range of questions that are often not considered and perhaps cannot be considered in a dispassionate way It is in many ways an optimistic study holding out the possibility of a society that can understand and take steps to minimise the perpetration of gross violations of human rights

Course Type:

Learning Module

Languages:

English

Material Type:

Readings

Media Format:

Downloadable docs

Conditions of Use:

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 2.5