A feminist rereading of the figure of Winnie Mandela
| dc.contributor.advisor | Du Toit, Louise | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Coetzee, Azille | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.author | Smith, Charla Emmarentia | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.other | Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Philosophy. | en_ZA |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2021-12-06T06:35:06Z | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2021-12-22T14:28:48Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2021-12-06T06:35:06Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2021-12-22T14:28:48Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2021-12 | |
| dc.description | Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2021. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation uses two levels of analysis to explore the meaning that was made of the figure of Winnie Mandela throughout her life. The first level exposes the patriarchal, nationalist image of her and the second explores the symbolic order, the level at which these meaning-making frameworks operate. The aim is to instil a heightened understanding of the effective working of the dominant symbolic underlying our interpretive shaping into existence of a figure such as Winnie Mandela. Three key themes in her life are explored per chapter namely, wife (Waiting Woman), Mother, and (politically) violent woman, by employing Irigaray and Cavarero’s method of mimicry and rereading myths. She is read as emblematic of the fate of the feminine in South Africa’s struggle history and political transition. The reading and critical rereading and the posing of alternative interpretations of her as a figure, open up a range of different representations of her life, as opposed to simply juxtaposing “the right” interpretation with “the lie”. There is no attempt to hypostatise any representation of her, instead the reader is encouraged to activate their own image of her and enter a critical dialogue with the text. It is within this type of continuous critical engagement that the meanings attached to “man” and “woman”, and how they function as interpretative filters, can begin to change significantly. I show that, by rethinking the ways in which women can act or speak once they start speaking in a symbolic order that more fully represents them, we can empower women in a political space. In other words, by reimagining and challenging the symbolic order, new possibilities for women acting, speaking and leading in the public/political sphere open up. By exposing the ways in which women have been excluded from philosophy under the feminine symbolic principle of unknowability, immanence and excess, the intention is to reveal the ways in which they are excluded from “full membership of the human community” and to show how this exclusion spills over, both into political exclusion and into our reading practices and interpretive frames. The project aims to understand whether and how women are figured and symbolised as subjects and to what extent this figuration influences access to political power. To this end, the guises women are required to adopt as wife, or mother to enter politics is considered specifically also with reference to Afrikaner and African nationalisms. he consequences of exceeding these roles is discussed throughout and the ways in which the figure of Winnie Mandela challenges and disrupts the Irigarayan/Cavarero inspired theoretical frame I use is a recurring theme. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis gebruik twee vlakke vir ontleding om die betekenis wat gekoppel word aan die figuur van Winnie Mandela deur die loop van haar lewe, te ondersoek. Die eerste vlak ontbloot die nasionalistiese, patriargale interpretasie van Winnie Mandela en die tweede ondersoek die simboliese orde, dié vlak is die raamwerk vir hierdie betekenisvorming. Die doel is om ’n verhoogte verstaan van die effektiewe werking van die simboliese orde, onderliggend aan ons vertolking van die figuur van Winnie Mandela, te kweek. Drie sleutel temas in haar lewe word per hoofstuk ondersoek, naamlik eggenoot (Waiting Woman), moeder, en polities gewelddadige vrou, deur middel van die metodologie van Irigaray en Cavarero in hulle herlees van mites. Sy word gelees as die sinnebeeld van die noodlot van die vroulike figuur in Suid Afrika se stryd teen apartheid en die politiese oorgang na demokrasie. Die lees, en kritiese herlees van alternatiewe interpretasies van haar as ’n figuur, maak ’n wye reeks, verskillende voorstellings van haar lewe oop, in plaas daarvan om die “korrekte” interpretasie teenoor die “leuen” naas mekaar te plaas. Daar is geen poging om enige vaste beeld van haar te skep nie, die leser word eerder aangemoedig om hulle eie beeld van haar op te roep en om met kritiese dialoog met die teks om te gaan. Dit is met hierdie aaneenlopende kritiese dialoog dat die betekenisse geheg aan “man” en “vrou”, en hoe hulle funksie as vertolkbare filters, kan begin verander. Ek wys dat, deur die wyses waarop vroue kan optree en praat sodra hulle praat in ’n simboliese orde wat hulle meer deeglik uitbeeld, te heroorweeg, vroue bemagtig word in ’n politieke ruimte. Met ander woorde, deur die simboliese orde te heroorweeg en uit te daag, gaan daar nuwe moontlikhede vir vroue as politieke agente oop. Deur te ondersoek hoe vroue uitgesluit is uit filosofie onder die vroulike simboliese beginsel van die onkenbare, immanensie en oormaat, is die bedoeling om die wyses waarop hulle uitgesluit word van volle lidmaatskap van die menslike gemeenskap, te onthul. Die projek mik om te verstaan óf en hóe vrouens gefigureer en gesimboliseer word as subjekte en tot watter mate hierdie figurasie toegang tot politieke mag beïnvloed. Daarom word die dekmantels wat vroue gebruik om die politiek te betree, as eggenoot en moeder, spesifiek met verwysing na Afrikaner- en Afrika-nasionalismes oorweeg. Die gevolge daarvan om hierdie rolle te oortree word deurlopend bespreek en die wyses waarop die figuur van Winnie Mandela die Irigaray/Cavarero teoretiese raamwerk uitdaag en ontwrig is ’n herhalende tema. | af_ZA |
| dc.description.version | Doctoral | en_ZA |
| dc.format.extent | 204 pages | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/123914 | |
| dc.language.iso | en_ZA | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University | en_ZA |
| dc.rights.holder | Stellenbosch University | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Winnie Mandela | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Feminist ethics | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Feminism | en_ZA |
| dc.title | A feminist rereading of the figure of Winnie Mandela | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_ZA |