Class, resistance, and the psychologization of development in South Africa

This paper focuses on the psychologization of development in South Africa, one of the most unequal countries in the world, through a critical analysis of a discussion on a national radio programme about the meaning of Mandela Day. We demonstrate how speakers draw on common sense notions of race, cla...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Theory & psychology 2015-04, Vol.25 (2), p.222-238
Main Authors: Barnes, Brendon R., Milovanovic, Minja
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Class
Demonstrations
Political parties
Psychology
Race
Resistance
Responsibility
Social classes
South Africa
Voluntary work
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:This paper focuses on the psychologization of development in South Africa, one of the most unequal countries in the world, through a critical analysis of a discussion on a national radio programme about the meaning of Mandela Day. We demonstrate how speakers draw on common sense notions of race, class, and party politics that (re)produce subject positions from within a rights-based interpretive repertoire that emphasizes structural reform and class resistance, and an agency interpretive repertoire that emphasizes individualism, responsibility, and volunteerism. We further demonstrate how the agency subject position serves to stifle and resist the rights subject position by drawing on common sense “psychological truths” about what it means to be a good citizen.
ISSN:0959-3543
1461-7447
DOI:10.1177/0959354315573546