Past and present perceptions surrounding mission education : a historical-metabletical overview

• Main Author: Lewis, Andrew
• Other Authors: Steyn, J. C.
• Format: Others
• Language: en_ZA
• Published: Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch 2011
• Subjects: Theses > Education; Dissertations > Education; Missions > South Africa > Educational works; Education > South Africa > Colonies; Missions > Study and teaching > South Africa; Social change > South Africa
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/16104

Thesis (D.Ed.)--University of Stellenbosch, 1999. === 330 Leaves printed single pages, preliminary pages i-vii and numberd pages 1-317.Includes bibliography and figures. Digitized at 600 dpi grayscale to pdf format (OCR), using a Bizhub 250 Konica Minolta Scanner. Digitized, Ivan Jacobs following an inter-library loan request on 1Augustus 2011, Lorenda Boyd === ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Africa, education has both reflected, and has been subjected to numerous perceptions, which inevitably led to various ideas and behaviour on the part of those participating in the educative act. Perceptions of others, objects or situations remain complex. The thoughts and behaviour which emanate from such complexity depend on factors such as personality, motivation, and social context. Culture also plays a cardinal role in the perceptual process. In the Republic of South Africa, as a culturally diverse country, divergent perceptions about education, where multi-culturalism is most evident, will be inevita ble. Mission education has been variedly adjudged, because of varied perceptions. This is understandable, as Black South Africans had been educated pre-dominantly by White missionaries up until the 1950's. Generally, politicians, academics and the media tend to give one-sided viewpoints, negating other interpretations and balanced perspectives. This takes place because of ignorance, bias or self-interest. Two commonly held perceptions about missionaries, are that they were racist and that their education system promoted colonialism. The understanding of racism, colonialism and missionaries' role therein, is in turn determined by numerous factors amongst historians, academics, politicians and journalists. The perceptions of each of these groups are often determined by partisan interests, which inevitably lead to unfair generalisations and stereotypes, since the rnetabletical nature of education is denied.In order to dissertate on past educational events, they need to be read contextually, taking into account both temporal and spatial dimensions of historical reality. When analysing historical perceptions, one needs to critically evaluate diverse interpretations of the past, and attempt to present a balanced perspective, instead of presenting a biased outlook,which tends to favour a specific hypothesis. This research critically analyses the various perceptions (past and present) surrounding mission education in South Africa, according to historical-metabletical guidelines, that they may be presented within a more balanced historical perspective. === AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Suid-Afrika was onderworpe aan 'n groot verkeidenheid persepsies, wat onvermydelik gelei het tot uiteenlopende idees en gedragsuitinge onder praktisyns van opvoeding. 'n Mens se waarneming van andere, van voorwerpe en situasies, bly 'n komplekse saak. Gedagtes en handelinge wat uit hierdie kompleksiteit voorvloei, hang van faktore af soos, persoonlikheid, motivering en sosiale kontekste. Kultuur speel ook 'n sleutelrol in die waarnemingsprases. In die Republiek van Suid-Afrika, 'n land met 'n veelvoudigheid van kulture, waar multi-kulturalisme aan die orde van die dag is, sal uiteenlopende waarnemings random die opvoeding onvermydelik wees. Sendingonderwys, was verskillend beoordeel, as gevolg van die uiteenlopende waarnemings. Dit is te verstane, aangesien swart Suid-Afrikaners hoofsaaklik deur blanke sendelinge onderrig is, tot en met die vyftigerjare. Oor die algemeen, is politici, akademici en die media geneig om eensydige sieninge te huldig en weer te gee. Hierdeur word ander sienswyses of meer gebalanseerde sienswyses soms negeer. Dit gebeur as gevolg van onkunde, vooraordeel of eie-belang. Twee algemene sienswyses aangaande sendelinge, is dat hulle rassiste was, en dat hulle opvoeding kolonialisme gepropageer het. Die verstaan van rassisme, kolonialisme en die rol van sendelinge hierin, word medebepaal deur verskeie faktore onder historici, akademici, politici en joemaliste. Die waarneminge van hierdie graepe word dikwels bepaal deur graepbelange, wat onvermydelik lei tot onregverdige veralgemenings en stereotipering, omdat die metabletiese aard van opvoeding ontken word.Om oar opvoedingsgebeure van die verlede te kan redeneer, behoort dit kontekstueel gelees te word; terwyl beide die tyd-, sowel as die ruimtelike dimensies van die historiese werklikheid in ag geneem word. Die ontleding van historiese waarneming vereis kritiese interpretasie van 'n verskeidenheidinterpretasies uit die verlede. Daar moet oak gepoog word am 'n gebalanseerde eerder as 'n bevooroordeelde waameming, wat slegs een bepaalde hipotese onderskryf, daar te stel. Hierdie navorsing analiseer krities - volgens histories-metabletiese riglyne - verskeie waarneminge (verlede en teenswoordige), aangaande sendingonderwys in Suid-Afrika, am hierdeur tot 'n meer gebalanseerde historiese perspektief te geraak.