Reconciliation Discourse The Case of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission |
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Author:
| Verdoolaege, Annelies |
ISBN: | 978-90-272-2718-8 |
Publication Date: | Jan 2008 |
Publisher: | John Benjamins Publishing Company
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Book Format: | Hardback |
List Price: | AUD $238.95 |
Book Description:
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This volume is a research monograph analysing the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) from an ethnographic/linguistic point of view. The central proposition of this book is that the TRC can be regarded as a mechanism that leads to the hegemony of specific discourses, thus excercising power. The analysis illustrates how, through a certain type of
reconciliation discourse constructed at the TRC hearings, a reconciliation-oriented reality took shape in post-TRC...
More DescriptionThis volume is a research monograph analysing the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) from an ethnographic/linguistic point of view. The central proposition of this book is that the TRC can be regarded as a mechanism that leads to the hegemony of specific discourses, thus excercising power. The analysis illustrates how, through a certain type of reconciliation discourse constructed at the TRC hearings, a reconciliation-oriented reality took shape in post-TRC South Africa. Basically, the study points to the long-term implications a truth commission can exert on a traumatised post-conflict society. The book is unique on several levels: TRC discourse is explored in-depth on the basis of personal stories from TRC testifiers; a combination of Poststructuralist and Critical Discourse Analysis approaches form the theoretical foundations; and an extensive bibliography provides an impressive database of TRC publications.