Abstract:
When speaking of the direction of a people, the term direction has the
meaning of a relatively stable trend or course over a relatively long
period of the history of the majority of that people. The problem discussed in this paper is the question whether such a direction(s) can be discerned in the history of the Afrikaans people. Such a direction can only be the result of values obtaining in a stable order of preference, forming a set of norms expressed in the views and actions of the people
over a relatively long period of time. In a compact overview, eight of the most important areas of the history of the Afrikaans people are considered.
The conclusion is that a definite trend is discernible. The most
important aspects of this trend are a sharp awareness of self-identity; a
desire for freedom, implying a negative reaction to British political and
cultural imperialism; a fierce love of the Afrikaans language; and an
aversion to mixing with people of non-Western descent.
