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Under Siege: A Brief History of Afrikaners and Ulster Presbyterians

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Religion, Ethnicity and Social Change

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Abstract

In southern Africa, the white settlers who trekked into uncharted territory used to form up their wagons into a circle when they stopped for the night, as a defensive measure against attack. This formation was called the laager and writers still speak of the laager mentality of Afrikaners. It is a label which could equally well be applied to Ulster Protestants. Both groups have frequently been characterised as being defensive and rigid, viewing difference and change as a threat. This characteristic is sometimes said to stem from their settler past.1 In terms of both history and stereotype, there are clear parallels between Ulster Protestants and Afrikaners. However, there are also differences. In this chapter, I shall examine these differences before outlining what I consider to be the most important aspects of the respective histories of each group, and then drawing out the common themes from those histories and experiences.

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Notes and References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Ulster, Northern Ireland

    Liz Fawcett (Lecturer in Media Studies)

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  1. Liz Fawcett
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Jo Campling

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© 2000 Liz Fawcett

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Fawcett, L. (2000). Under Siege: A Brief History of Afrikaners and Ulster Presbyterians. In: Campling, J. (eds) Religion, Ethnicity and Social Change. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780333983270_2

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