The legacy of ideological control: the Afrikaner youth's manipulated political consciousness

Abstract

The article explores the way in which the political consciousness of the white Afrikaner student youth has been limited by severe state ideological control, leaving them ill‐prepared for a non‐racial political future. Two strains of analysis are pursued. Firstly, the extent to which changes in political attitudes were manifested in a period of turmoil in black politics is investigated. Secondly, detailed analyses are done of perceptions and beliefs about the way in which black fellow South Africans are affected by policies of the partial South African state. An image of impeded consciousness of the realities of South African politics emerges. This consciousness is explained by the insular political world constructed by the state and its direct or hegemonically compliant agents.