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The Palgrave International Handbook of Education for Citizenship and Social Justice pp 571–591Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

South Africa: The Struggle for Social Justice and Citizenship in South African Education

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Abstract

This chapter draws on the major issues in South Africa’s modern history to see how the post-apartheid government which came into power in 1994 has responded to the demands and requirements of citizenship and social justice with respect to education. It makes the argument that South Africa is an important global social laboratory. It attempts to locate the place of education in the process of building the dignity of all people. Important questions in working through the significance of this place are the following:

  1. (i)

    the role of education in the making of privilege and disadvantage;

  2. (ii)

    its place in the processes currently under way in the country in dismantling privilege and redressing disadvantage; and

  3. (iii)

    its role in constructing a new society.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Human Sciences Research Council and the University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

    Crain Soudien

Authors
  1. Crain Soudien
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Education, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury, United Kingdom

    Andrew Peterson

  2. Sch of Edu, Mawson Lakes Campus, University of South Australia, Magill, South Australia, Australia

    Robert Hattam

  3. Program of Educational Studies, Open University of Cyprus, Latsia, Cyprus

    Michalinos Zembylas

  4. Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom

    James Arthur

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Soudien, C. (2016). South Africa: The Struggle for Social Justice and Citizenship in South African Education. In: Peterson, A., Hattam, R., Zembylas, M., Arthur, J. (eds) The Palgrave International Handbook of Education for Citizenship and Social Justice. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-51507-0_27

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-51507-0_27

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-137-51506-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-137-51507-0

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

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