AFRIKANER VALUES IN POST-APARTHEID SOUTH AFRICA: AN ...

25
Provincial Executive Management. I had previously been the Provincial Secretary of
both the DA (Democratic Alliance) and the NNP (New National Party) in the Free State.
During the past eight years I have served on various executive committees inside the
Afrikaner cultural household. For example, I was Chairperson of the Friendship Club of
the National Afrikaans Literature Museum in Bloemfontein, Chairperson of the
Bloemfontein Afrikaner Club, Executive Council member of the Afrikaner Bond and
executive member of the Commemorative Committee for the Anglo-Boer war centenary
celebrations. Previously I had also served as an elder in the Dutch Reformed Church,
Hugenote congregation, in Bloemfontein.
I would describe myself as a community leader who is culturally active in Afrikaner
affairs. My whole family is culturally involved. My wife and children are active
members of the Voortrekker (Pioneer) movement. Afrikaner culture in all its facets is our
passion.
2.3 SCIENTIFIC-PHILOSOPHICAL GROUNDING OF THE STUDY
According to Strauss (1989:1), research is a facet of science and research methodology is
a branch of scientific learning. In order to understand the epistemological grounding of
this study within scientific practice, it is important to understand the development of
science philosophy.
The development of science philosophy underwent different phases. The concepts “premodern”,
“modern” and “post-modern” are usually associated with the history of
Western scientific practice. Broadly speaking, this development went as follows:
Evolution from blind faith in religion during the pre-modern era, before the sixteenth
century, preceded the blind faith in science and human rationality of the modern era
since the sixteenth century, and was followed by the increasing scepticism about the
value of science and human rationality of the post-modern era, at the end of the twentieth
century (Foucault 1998:486 and Strauss 1989:1-3).
Pre-modern philosophers attached significant value to the benefit of the organic
community (also called the “common good”) in contrast to, and beyond the specific
interest of the individual. Pre-modern theorists relied heavily on the metaphysical to