School of Social and Political Science

Description

This the first seminar of the RTC Talking Methods Seminar Series 24-25.

"How are histories of racial oppression dealt with in contexts of diversity? Chana Teeger tackles this question by examining how young South Africans, born into democracy, confront their country’s racist apartheid past in high school history lessons. Drawing on extensive observational, interview, and textual data, she discusses how students learn that racism is a thing of the past, even as they experience it in their everyday lives. Teeger shows how teachers’ desire to avoid conflict between students mirrors a national focus on racial reconciliation, leading to the historical distancing of the recent apartheid past. This historical distancing allows schools to present a façade of transformation. Beneath the surface, however, the lessons reproduce unequal power relations at school and legitimize inequality at the societal level. In documenting these processes, Teeger points to the subtle reconfiguration of racism in the era of civil liberties."

You can join us in the Practice Suite 1.12 or Online by signing up to the seminar - the link to the livestream will be sent out closer to the event.