Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
South African social theory : Steve Biko
The complexity and dynamism of society provides the sociologist with interesting challenges. The methods and instruments we use to study and understand society have to evolve with the same dynamism. This minor dissertation investigates sociological theory in South Africa. The primary aim of this di...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Department of Sociology
2016
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1867614067639713792 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Esterhuizen, Charlton |
| author2 | Mangcu, Xolela |
| author_browse | Esterhuizen, Charlton Mangcu, Xolela |
| author_facet | Mangcu, Xolela Esterhuizen, Charlton |
| author_sort | Esterhuizen, Charlton |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | The complexity and dynamism of society provides the sociologist with interesting challenges. The methods and instruments we use to study and understand society have to evolve with the same dynamism. This minor dissertation investigates sociological theory in South Africa. The primary aim of this dissertation is to determine if one can produce or derive sociological theory from the work of black South Africans, specifically Steve Biko. To this end one has to disseminate the idea of sociological theory and consider how it is constructed. It is also important to highlight the contextual and progressive nature of theory. To illustrate this, I briefly outline the development of sociology as an academic discipline. In addition I consider the implications of macro and micro theory, paying particular attention to Marxism and Weberianism. This is exemplary in terms of showing the contextual relevance and the progressive thinking which inform social theory. It is widely acknowledged that Comte, Marx, Durkheim and Weber were the founding fathers of sociology. I consider the contributions of Ntsikana, Tiyo Soga, Anton Lembede, Pixley Seme and finally Steve Biko as a means of demonstrating the potential local intellectual to inform a new social theory The nature of this research dictated the use of a qualitative research design. The review of literature and biographical accounts were used to construct the lineage of South African intellectuals. The key intellectual considered in this paper is Steve Biko. The source of the data was his salient work: "I Write What I Like". Thematic analysis was used to analyse the relevant texts, mainly the Miles Huberman approach. This allowed me to identify the key analytical constructs of Steve Biko's work. These analytical constructs would be the foundation of a possible sociological theory. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/20025 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:46:09.267Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2016 |
| publishDateRange | 2016 |
| publishDateSort | 2016 |
| publisher | Department of Sociology |
| publisherStr | Department of Sociology |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/20025 South African social theory : Steve Biko Esterhuizen, Charlton Mangcu, Xolela Sociology The complexity and dynamism of society provides the sociologist with interesting challenges. The methods and instruments we use to study and understand society have to evolve with the same dynamism. This minor dissertation investigates sociological theory in South Africa. The primary aim of this dissertation is to determine if one can produce or derive sociological theory from the work of black South Africans, specifically Steve Biko. To this end one has to disseminate the idea of sociological theory and consider how it is constructed. It is also important to highlight the contextual and progressive nature of theory. To illustrate this, I briefly outline the development of sociology as an academic discipline. In addition I consider the implications of macro and micro theory, paying particular attention to Marxism and Weberianism. This is exemplary in terms of showing the contextual relevance and the progressive thinking which inform social theory. It is widely acknowledged that Comte, Marx, Durkheim and Weber were the founding fathers of sociology. I consider the contributions of Ntsikana, Tiyo Soga, Anton Lembede, Pixley Seme and finally Steve Biko as a means of demonstrating the potential local intellectual to inform a new social theory The nature of this research dictated the use of a qualitative research design. The review of literature and biographical accounts were used to construct the lineage of South African intellectuals. The key intellectual considered in this paper is Steve Biko. The source of the data was his salient work: "I Write What I Like". Thematic analysis was used to analyse the relevant texts, mainly the Miles Huberman approach. This allowed me to identify the key analytical constructs of Steve Biko's work. These analytical constructs would be the foundation of a possible sociological theory. 2016-06-17T06:27:21Z 2016-06-17T06:27:21Z 2015 Master Thesis Masters MSocSc http://hdl.handle.net/11427/20025 eng application/pdf Department of Sociology Faculty of Humanities University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Sociology Esterhuizen, Charlton South African social theory : Steve Biko |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | South African social theory : Steve Biko |
| title_full | South African social theory : Steve Biko |
| title_fullStr | South African social theory : Steve Biko |
| title_full_unstemmed | South African social theory : Steve Biko |
| title_short | South African social theory : Steve Biko |
| title_sort | south african social theory steve biko |
| topic | Sociology |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/20025 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT esterhuizencharlton southafricansocialtheorystevebiko |