%0 Journal Article
%T POETRY AS AN ELEMENT OF THE APARTHEID MILITARY DISCOURSE
%A Andre Van der Bijl
%J Scientia Militaria : South African Journal of Military Studies
%D 2011
%I Stellenbosch University
%R 10.5787/39-1-102
%X From the 1970s to the early 1990s, "struggle poetry" served to define elements of the struggle against apartheid. In contrast to struggle literature, which was open and clearly focussed, pro-apartheid literature was not produced in abundance and, when it appeared, was shrouded in social discourse, including historical analysis, terminology, the articulation of specific viewpoints, humour and a sense of duty. One of the longest-lasting windows into apartheid military propaganda was Peter Badcock's Images of war (1981), a compilation of pencil sketches and short poetic works that used simple blank verse and images of racial diversity, romance and implied tradition. This article presents a discourse analysis of the above-mentioned publication, using both Foucault-infused thoughts and a critical discourse analysis methodology developed by Fairclough. It provides insight into how the apparatus of a state can gain popular support for sociologically unacceptable practices. Understanding the latter contributes to an understanding of power relations and ideological processes that underlie text and rhetoric.
%U http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za/pub/article/view/102