Paper short abstract:

Pressures on Stellenbosch University for transformation has caused a racialised identity resistance. The paper traces the muted politics of whiteness in the 'taaldebat' (language debate) and its relationship to questions of multilingualism, access and campus culture.

Paper long abstract:

Afrikaans has historically become a core symbol of white Afrikaner nationalism. The language was strongly associated with universities for white Afrikaans-speakers, such as Stellenbosch University. The transition of 1994 impacted on its privileges, reducing it to one of 11 official languages. University managements at former Afrikaans universities were caught between contrasting demands made by their conservative traditional base and the expectations of transformation from the side of government. In this context the new politicisation of Afrikaans was unavoidable. The mainly white group that was mobilised for the 'new politics of Afrikaans' sought a future for Afrikaans separated from the racial domination of the past. However, the new activism did not succeed in demonstrating solidarity with the majority of the population.

This paper investigates the impact of pressures on Stellenbosch University for transformation and the resistance this caused. Specifically, the paper traces the muted politics of whiteness in the 'taaldebat' (language debate) and its relationship to questions of multilingualism, access and campus culture. The emphasis on Afrikaner identity and questions around the role of 'coloureds' in the language struggle reveal the underlying persistence of a framework of whiteness among an important section of the actors. In this paper the roles and discourses of alumni, staff, management and students are investigated through critical discourse analysis of recent contestations around Afrikaans and transformation (from an exclusive whiteness to a more inclusive South Africanism).