Education in Apartheid South Africa: Propaganda with a Purpose
bad. How can we achieve anything if we don't have agreement of goals? Yet, I would ask, isn't there a way to have agreement of goals without conformity of thought? True, I am that kind of American. Does it thus betray my own conformity to certain values in my own culture? Maybe whether my parents shaped this view-they were always different than my friends' parents-or whether my nation shaped this view or whether I developed it on my own, or both, doesn't ultimately matter. We are all shaped by forces outside of our control.
South Africa still faces enormous problems ahead as it seeks to achieve a democratic society. Perhaps democracy's greatest strength is the reality that people do think differently, that people do resist propaganda, that despite public education, free democratic societies do allow people to develop their own values. Thus, it is my profound hope that it is unlikely true democracy will ever lead to complete conformity or to the kind of evil experienced by Africans under apartheid.
Finnegan, William. Crossing the Line: A Year in the Land of Apartheid. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1986.
Marah, John K. "America and Africa: A Comparative Study in Educational Philosophy." Journal of Black Studies 19.4 (June 1989): 459-474.
1. I am not a parent yet, though I do understand part of the purpose of parenting is to raise responsible, ethical, compassionate adults. I am not suggesting it is possible or even desirable to raise children in an "idea-less" or "value-less" vacuum just to avoid propaganda. I wonder, however, if it's possible teach children in such a way that they think for themselves, rather than simply receiving ideas and values from their parents.
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