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Historical narrative of high school athletics among oppressed communities in the Western Cape, 1956-1994

Thesis (PhD Sport Sc)--Stellenbosch University, 2023.

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Main Author: Willis, Roderick Arthur
Other Authors: Cleophas, Francois
Format: Thesis
Language:en_ZA
Published: Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University 2023
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access_status_str Open Access
author Willis, Roderick Arthur
author2 Cleophas, Francois
author_browse Cleophas, Francois
Willis, Roderick Arthur
author_facet Cleophas, Francois
Willis, Roderick Arthur
author_sort Willis, Roderick Arthur
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv Stellenbosch University
description Thesis (PhD Sport Sc)--Stellenbosch University, 2023.
format Thesis
id oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/127242
institution Stellenbosch University (South Africa)
language en_ZA
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:45:26.037Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
publishDate 2023
publishDateRange 2023
publishDateSort 2023
publisher Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
publisherStr Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
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source_str SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
spelling oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/127242 Historical narrative of high school athletics among oppressed communities in the Western Cape, 1956-1994 Willis, Roderick Arthur Cleophas, Francois Kraak, Wilbur Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences. Dept. of Exercise, Sport and Lifestyle Medication. High school athletes -- South Africa -- Western Cape, 1956-1994 UCTD Thesis (PhD Sport Sc)--Stellenbosch University, 2023. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation creates a historical narrative of a multi-coded school sports organisation in the Western Cape, South Africa between 1956 and 1994, the Western Province Senior School Sports Union (WPSSSU). This organisation, established in 1956, was analysed historically and operationally up to its demise in 1994. The main narrative is preceded by a brief overview of a history of modern athletics in Great Britain. Modern athletics was formalised during the late 19th century at Oxford and Cambridge universities. After completing their studies, the graduates took their knowledge of athletics to schools in the Cape, a British colony at the time. A historical overview of athletics during the late 19th and early 20th centuries in Cape Town society therefore serves as historical contextualisation for the later establishment of WPSSSU in 1956. The study emanated in two published articles, the first concentrating on the period 1956 to 1972 and titled ‘A Historical Narrative of High School Athletics amongst “Coloured” Communities in Cape Town, South Africa, with Special Reference to the Western Province Senior Schools Sports Union, 1956–1972’. This article was published online on 10 March 2022 in the International Journal of the History of Sport. The second article focused on the period 1973 to 1994 and is titled ‘Reconstructing a Socio-Political Narrative of High School Athletics in the Oppressed Communities of the Greater Cape Peninsula, South Africa, 1973–1994’. This was published on 21 February 2022 in the South African Historical Journal. These articles are followed by a chapter that interrogates the main reasons that led to the demise of WPSSSU, namely the Double Standards Resolution, the policy of non-alignment, the formation of rival non-racial school sports organisations and the school sports unity debate. The study aimed to add to the corpus of literature on black sports history in South Africa, with a secondary aim to prove that school sports was a well-functioning discipline in oppressed communities during apartheid. The theoretical lens, reconstructionism, was employed to underpin the research methodology that relied on primary and secondary material, documents of mass communication, minutes, reports, oral and telephonic interviews as well as email communication. The study concluded by synthesising issues that were investigated in the main body of the dissertation and proposes that the current state of school sports in South Africa can be improved if the authorities consider the functioning and organisation of WPSSSU. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie proefskrif skep ’n historiese narratief van ’n multikode-skolesportorganisasie in die Wes-Kaap, Suid-Afrika tussen 1956 and 1994, naamlik die Westelike Provinsie Senior Skole Sport Unie (WPSSSU). Hierdie organisasie, wat in 1956 gestig is, is histories en operasioneel ontleed tot en met die ontbinding daarvan in 1994. Hierdie narratief word vooraf gegaan deur ’n oorsig van moderne atletiek in Groot Brittanje. Moderne atletiek is in die laat 19de eeu deur die universiteite van Oxford en Cambridge geformaliseer en nadat die studente hul studies voltooi het, het hulle hul kennis van atletiek na skole in die Kaap, wat ’n Britse kolonie was, geneem. ’n Historiese oorsig van atletiek in die laat 19de en vroeë 20ste eeu in die Kaapse samelewing dien dus as historiese kontekstualisering vir die latere stigting van WPSSSU in 1956. Twee artikels is uit die studie gepubliseer. Die eerste artikel fokus op die periode 1956 tot 1972 en is getiteld ‘A Historical Narrative of High School Athletics amongst “Coloured” Communities in Cape Town, South Africa, with Special Reference to the Western Province Senior Schools Sports Union, 1956–1972’. Hierdie artikel is aanlyn op 10 Maart 2022 in die International Journal of the History of Sport gepubliseer. Die titel van die tweede artikel, wat fokus op die periode tussen 1973 en 1994, is ‘Reconstructing a Socio-Political Narrative of High School Athletics in the Oppressed Communities of the Greater Cape Peninsula, South Africa, 1973–1994’ en is op 21 Februarie 2022 in die South African Historical Journal gepubliseer. Hierdie artikels word gevolg deur ʼn hoofstuk wat die hoofredes vir die ontbinding van WPSSSU, naamlik die Dubbele Standaard Resolusie, die beleid om nie met enige nie-rassige organisasies of politieke party te vereenselwig nie, die ontstaan van opponerende nierassige skolesportorganisasies en die skolesporteenheidsdebat, ondersoek. Die doel van die studie is om ’n bydrae te lewer tot die korpus van swart sportgeskiedenis in Suid-Afrika, met ’n sekondêre doel om te bewys dat skolesport ’n goed gefunksioneerde dissipline in onderdrukte gemeenskappe tydens apartheid was. Die teoretiese lens, rekonstruksionisme, is benut om die navorsingsmetodologie te ondersteun, waardeur gebruik gemaak is van primêre en sekondêre materiaal, dokumente van massakommunikasie, notules, verslae, mondelinge en telefoniese onderhoude asook e-pos-kommunikasie. Die studie sluit af met ʼn samevatting van die belangrikste kwessies wat ondersoek is en doen aan die hand dat die huidige toestand van skolesport in Suid-Afrika verbeter kan word as die owerhede aandag skenk aan die funksionering en organisering van WPSSSU. Doctoral 2023-03-02T13:24:04Z 2023-05-18T07:11:36Z 2023-03-02T13:24:04Z 2023-05-18T07:11:36Z 2023-03 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/127242 en_ZA Stellenbosch University xi, 160 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
spellingShingle High school athletes -- South Africa -- Western Cape, 1956-1994
UCTD
Willis, Roderick Arthur
Historical narrative of high school athletics among oppressed communities in the Western Cape, 1956-1994
title Historical narrative of high school athletics among oppressed communities in the Western Cape, 1956-1994
title_full Historical narrative of high school athletics among oppressed communities in the Western Cape, 1956-1994
title_fullStr Historical narrative of high school athletics among oppressed communities in the Western Cape, 1956-1994
title_full_unstemmed Historical narrative of high school athletics among oppressed communities in the Western Cape, 1956-1994
title_short Historical narrative of high school athletics among oppressed communities in the Western Cape, 1956-1994
title_sort historical narrative of high school athletics among oppressed communities in the western cape 1956 1994
topic High school athletes -- South Africa -- Western Cape, 1956-1994
UCTD
url http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/127242
work_keys_str_mv AT willisroderickarthur historicalnarrativeofhighschoolathleticsamongoppressedcommunitiesinthewesterncape19561994