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The men in our living room : masculinities and the struggle for a 'new' South African hegemony in 'Egoli: place of gold' 1994

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015.

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Main Author: Jonker, Francois
Other Authors: Viljoen, Stella
Format: Thesis
Language:en_ZA
Published: Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University 2015
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access_status_str Open Access
author Jonker, Francois
author2 Viljoen, Stella
author_browse Jonker, Francois
Viljoen, Stella
author_facet Viljoen, Stella
Jonker, Francois
author_sort Jonker, Francois
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv Stellenbosch University
description Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015.
format Thesis
id oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/96873
institution Stellenbosch University (South Africa)
language en_ZA
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:46:38.139Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
publishDate 2015
publishDateRange 2015
publishDateSort 2015
publisher Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
publisherStr Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
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source_str SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
spelling oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/96873 The men in our living room : masculinities and the struggle for a 'new' South African hegemony in 'Egoli: place of gold' 1994 Jonker, Francois Viljoen, Stella Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Visual Arts. Gender identity on television -- South Africa Masculinity -- South Africa Television soap operas -- South Africa -- 20th century Egoli (Television program) Cultural pluralism -- South Africa -- 20th century UCTD Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this study I analyse the 1994 episodes of the popular soap opera Egoli: Place of Gold that coincide with the so-called ‘birth’ of the New South Africa. This moment in media history is characterised by a heightened sense of anticipation surrounding Egoli as the first local soap opera created by Franz Marx at the pinnacle of his career for the relatively new – and only – independent broadcaster in the country, M-Net. Because of the reliance of this genre on perceived realism, Egoli offers a historically significant televisual mediation of the widespread social and political changes that mark this particular period. I argue that the soap opera elicits a non-critical passive spectatorship and should therefore be regarded as a ‘readerly’ medium that transmits a form of pre-negotiated textual hegemony directly into the intimacy of the domestic viewing space. While acknowledging an awareness of the pivotal role played by white Afrikaans men in the safeguarding of cultural hegemony up until this historical juncture, my study diverges from the wealth of research on soap opera as a women’s medium and approaches Egoli with an interest in the programme’s construction of masculinities. An analysis of three contrasting male characters investigates Egoli’s formulation of a social matrix that reflects not only the programme’s attitude towards gender, but also to social power, class and race. I conclude that this specific soap opera lacks the ability to produce or reflect radical change. Egoli merely serves to reiterate the affirmation of the hegemony of an established order of Afrikaner patriarchy on a superficial level. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie studie analiseer ek die 1994 episodes van die populêre sepie Egoli: Plek van Goud wat afspeel tydens die sogenaamde ‘geboorte’ van die Nuwe Suid-Afrika. Hierdie oomblik in media-geskiedenis is gekarakteriseer deur ‘n verhoogde gevoel van antisipasie rondom Egoli as die eerste plaaslike sepie, vervaardig deur Franz Marx tydens die toppunt van sy loopbaansukses vir die relatief nuwe, en enigste onafhanklike uitsaaidiens in die land, M-Net. Vanweë hierdie medium se afhanklikheid op skynbare realisme, bied Egoli ‘n waardevolle historiese televisuele vertolking van die verrykende sosiale en politiese veranderinge van hierdie tydperk. Ek argumenteer dat die sepie ‘n passiewe kritiekloosheid in kykers uitlok en daarom as ‘n ‘leeslike’ teks benader moet word, wat ‘n reeds-onderhandelde hegemonie direk in die intimiteit van die huishouding oordra. As gevolg van die bewustheid van die kritieke rol wat deur blanke Afrikaanse mans vervul is in die beveiliging van kulturele hegemonie tot en met hierdie historiese moment, wyk my studie af van die veelvuldige navorsing oor die sepie as ‘n vroue-medium en benader ek Egoli met ‘n fokus op die konstruering van manlikheid. ‘n Analise van drie kontrasterende manlike karakters ondersoek Egoli se formulering van ‘n sosiale matriks wat nie alleenlik die program se benadering tot geslag blootlê nie, maar so ook tot sosiale mag, klas en ras. Ek sluit af met die bevinding dat dié sepie ontbreek in die vermoë om radikale verandering aan te spoor of te weerspieël. Egoli slaag slegs daarin om op ‘n oppervlakkige wyse die hegemonie van ‘n gevestigde Afrikaner patriargale orde te bevestig en te reproduseer. Masters 2015-05-20T09:28:03Z 2015-05-20T09:28:03Z 2015-03 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/96873 en_ZA Stellenbosch University 131 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
spellingShingle Gender identity on television -- South Africa
Masculinity -- South Africa
Television soap operas -- South Africa -- 20th century
Egoli (Television program)
Cultural pluralism -- South Africa -- 20th century
UCTD
Jonker, Francois
The men in our living room : masculinities and the struggle for a 'new' South African hegemony in 'Egoli: place of gold' 1994
title The men in our living room : masculinities and the struggle for a 'new' South African hegemony in 'Egoli: place of gold' 1994
title_full The men in our living room : masculinities and the struggle for a 'new' South African hegemony in 'Egoli: place of gold' 1994
title_fullStr The men in our living room : masculinities and the struggle for a 'new' South African hegemony in 'Egoli: place of gold' 1994
title_full_unstemmed The men in our living room : masculinities and the struggle for a 'new' South African hegemony in 'Egoli: place of gold' 1994
title_short The men in our living room : masculinities and the struggle for a 'new' South African hegemony in 'Egoli: place of gold' 1994
title_sort men in our living room masculinities and the struggle for a new south african hegemony in egoli place of gold 1994
topic Gender identity on television -- South Africa
Masculinity -- South Africa
Television soap operas -- South Africa -- 20th century
Egoli (Television program)
Cultural pluralism -- South Africa -- 20th century
UCTD
url http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/96873
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