"Between hope and hopelessness" : A qualitative exploration of 'born free' constructions of transformation in post-apartheid higher education

Abstract

Education is a process of facilitated learning whereby knowledge skills, morals, values, beliefs, and habits are acquired. Education provides the foundation from which people are taught to know, and respect, rights, laws, and regulations. The educational context provides a foundation from which people are able to form their social identities. The type of learning facilitated through formal education has a major impact on the social identity formation of students, and in turn the way they will interact with others in society. In this way education plays a major role in shaping the social structure of society (Moreku, 2014). Education is not a neutral process. Those in power who formulate education policies always have some form of political, social, or cultural goal in mind (Msila, 2007). The present day political motivation influencing education is the democratic goal of transformation: to redress, through social and educational reform, the inherited inequalities from the Apartheid era (Jansen & Taylor, 2003). Badat (2010) highlights the immense social and political value of higher education in the promotion of health and well-being, the development of critical and democratically active citizens, as well as the assertion and pursuit of social justice and human rights. According to Brennan, et al. (2004) universities are regarded as key institutions in processes of social change and development. During periods of more radical change, such as the overarching aim of transformation, universities play an important role in building new institutions of civil society, encouraging new cultural values, and developing the future social elite of a country (Brennan, et al., 2004). Born frees are viewed as being uniquely positioned in the socio-historical context of South Africa, as they are the first generation of South African children born into a democratic system (Lundgren & Scheckle, 2018). They have grown up and received an education in a political and social structure attempting to adopt and live out transformation policies (Finchilescu, et al., 2007). It then comes to ask, what impact has transformation policy had on the social identities of the born free generation? This study attempts to answer this question through conducting a qualitative exploration of born free attitudes towards transformation. Focus group discussions and thematic analysis and were used to collect data on and describe the way in which born frees make meaning of transformation. The study found that born frees have integrated the idea of transformation into their social and collective identity, but they are very aware of the fact that transformation as it has been idealised has understandably not yet been achieved in the South African society yet. Additionally born frees describe that higher education has contributed towards their development as more critically aware and active members of society, but their education has fallen short in providing them with a means to practically address the issues of transformation they are now able to identify. Born frees conclude that transformation is too complex an issue for them to be able to achieve in a single generation.