Theoretical framework
2.1 Theories of Identity Construction
2.1.4 The Post-Structuralist perspective
Different Discourses in society will provide various ways III which the subjects conduct social relationships with each other. Wetherell and Maybin define society as
" something fluid and open, concerning relationships, interactions and everyday activities which continually change and shift" (1996: 228 ). Itis attributed as the place where our identities are located and defined. They go on to clarify the concept of culture as " the complexes of social activities which we summarise as culture or describe as our way oflife" (1996:228).
involved in my research on Coloured identity. According to Hall, identity is a matter of
becoming as well as of being. Itbelongs to the future as well as to the past. It is not something that already exists, transcending time, place, history and culture. Cultural identities come from somewhere, have histories. But, like everything that is historical, they undergo constant transformation. Far from being fixed in some essentialized past, they are subject to the continuous play of history, culture and power. Far from being grounded in a mere recovery of the past, which is waiting to be found, and which, when found, will secure our sense of selves into eternity, identities are the names we give to the different ways we are positioned by, and position ourselves within the narratives of the past. (1990: 225)
Hall's (1990) stance concernmg the utilisation of culture in the construction of identity is of vital importance to the Coloured person in post-apartheid times. His exploration of culture in the weaving together of Caribbean identity reveals two ways in which culture can be utilised in determining identity of the marginalised in post- colonial times, which can be appropriated for post-apartheid South Africa identity issues. Firstly, there is a view of culture and identity that positions one in terms of a shared culture, a collective true self which does not recognise the existence of other more superficial selves of people. What comes to mind are President Mbeki' s calls for a return to African- ness before the intrusion of white colonisers. Hall quotes Fanon (1963) who states that these people are
Directed by the secret hope of discovering beyond the misery of today, beyond self- contempt, resignation and abjuration, some very beautiful and splendid era whose existence rehabilitates us both in regard to ourselves and in regard to others
(Fanon in: Hall (1990: 223)
Hall (1990) believes that this is essentially a search to rediscover the past and produce an identity that is grounded in it. The danger is that this ideal neglects differences amongst colonised people. The South African context is characterised by differences among the cultures of the marginalised racial groups, which would not be recognised in Mbeki' s ideal. Instead, Hall favours a definition of cultural identity which recognises similarities as well as differences, in this way, cultural identity involves a process of "becoming as well as being"(Hall, 1990: 225), having links to the past as well as belonging to the future. The past is regarded as a crucial ingredient in the attempts to construct identities since any account of a subject's identity is incomplete without an understanding of circumstances directly encountered, given and transmitted from the past, and how these structuring principles become real for the people today. (Wetherell, 1996).
The common history of having a colonised past has unified as well as formed an identity for oppressed people, with the concept of difference being a crucial ingredient in the dialogical and transformative characteristics of identity constructions. Hall affirms this in stating that
cultural identity is not something that already exists, transcending place, time history and culture ... they also undergo transformation ... they are subjected to a continuous play of history, culture and power.
(1990:225)
In terms of the former view of identity being constructed through a rediscovery of the past only, specifically Mbeki' s call for a return to African-ness, I believe that this would be detrimental to our society since it does not take into account the changes which have been wrought because of colonisation. Economic, technological, social and educational advances, to mention but a few, have made a great impact on people
in this country, and consequently, have changed their frames of reference and their lifestyles. Any attempt to construct identity based exclusively on one group's perception of what it is to be African in the traditional sense would be resisted by people outside that discourse who are regarded as other, as well as people within the Discourse who are in conflict with Mbeki's perception of what it is to be African. As a Coloured person, I would find this situation untenable, unless it became inclusive of all cultures and groups in the country, which is exactly what Hall supports in his call for identity to be based on similarities as well as differences. This concept of difference yet similarity within identities is explained by Norris (1987) who refers to Derrida's concept ofdiff'erance which challenges fixed binaries, always allowing a meaning to be deferred to encompass supplementary meanings, within different contexts (in Hall, 1990: 229). Hall goes on to describe this type of identity as diasporic, being characterised by hybridity, diversity and a necessary heterogeneity.
Identity is thus constantly mutating itself through transformation and difference.
Finally, another problematic scenano which has connections with the Coloured struggle for identity, is exemplified in Fanon's (1963) warning for people who uncritically expropriate the view of the coloniser, a view which he regards as crippling and deforming the subject. He warns that this sycophantic attitude produces
"individuals without an anchor, without horizon, colourless, stateless, rootless - a race of angels" (in Hall, 1990: 226). The accounts of many Coloured people who crossed over to "act white" for the privileges and status that it gave them, are examples of subjects who essentially lost their sense of self, never really fitting in with the admired group, and always defensive and protective of their position since they could be found out and rejected. They rejected their own group in favour of the in-group,
but simultaneously were rejected by the outgroup and thought of in a denigrating way as sellouts. Thus, they had no roots of their own, preferring to adopt the white 'way of being', but never feeling secure enough within this position, resulting in subjects who were indeed 'crippled' in an emotional and cultural sense... a subjectivity that is deformed.
Feminist post-structuralist Weedon defines subjectivity as "the conscIOUS and unconscious thoughts and emotions of the individual, her sense of herself and her ways of understanding her relation to the world"(1997: 32), and is generated in a variety of discursive practices, in attempts at obtaining control over power. Weedon agrees with social constructionists that language plays a seminal role in constructing identity, since it is
the place where actual and possible forms of social organisation and their likely social and political consequences are defined and contested. Yet it is also the place where our sense of selves, our subjectivity, is constructed.
(Weedon, 1997: 21)
Itdoes not act as a mirror, reflecting social reality but instead creates a social reality for the subject. Weedon builds on Saussure's theory of the 'sign', where language is regarded as an abstract system based on chains of signs, and each sign is comprised of a signifier (sound or written image) and a signified (meaning). For Weedon, there is no given link between the image and the concept, instead each sign derives its meaning in a comparative manner, where it is defined by its difference from all other signs in the language chain. In this way, language can be a powerful tool for subjects intent on creating an identity that gives them a sense of security and power, especially with regard to teenagers who rebel against the dominant discourses of society, and try
to create alternative discourses, characterised by the different meanings of language which they create as overt ways of defining their particular social reality. The discourse of rap music, while abhorrent to most adults because of its constant reference to women as "bitch" and "ho", is a powerful influence on many youngsters, particularly in the Coloured community, who adopt the language used as a sign of their rejection of what is normal, and an adoption of a social reality that gives them a sense of power and control. Weedon contests the singularity of meaning that Saussure gives to signs, stating that meaning is not static and unitary, but always changing and multiple in nature. Derrida's concept of differance (which I have already drawn on to clarify Hall's diasporic identities) adds to this interpretation by postulating that meaning is obtained not just through a constant process of deferral and difference of signs from one another, but within the different discursive situations in which they are used. Consequently, meaning is always changing, always open to challenge.
Subjectivity can therefore be characterised as having a multiple nature, as having the ability to transform over time and as a site of struggle.
Peirce (1995) also supports the view of subjectivity as a site of struggle seeing the attempt to make sense of one's identity as a difficult one, involving traumatic emotions and internal conflict. The metaphor of weaving is used by Connell (1987) in which he states that it may not be easy to knit together some of the threads of one's identity project. Institutions such as the school, the family, the church and even one's group of friends may pull in different directions, thus causing tension and create a struggle in attempting to define one's identity. This ultimately results in the subject either being positioned within that discourse, resisting the discourse or setting up a
counter discourse, which sets him up III a powerful rather than a marginalised position.
In conclusion, it appears that the attempt to define one's subjectivity is a difficult one.
All the theories that I believe have a bearing on my research, appear to support the notion that people involved in this struggle are both active and passive participants.
On the one level, they are "made or produced" by the way in which their collective group is viewed by society. On the other hand, they are active participants, attempting to make sense of who they are, where they come form, and their place in society.
Furthermore, it is clear that the construction of one's identity does not result in a unified, coherent picture. The self is viewed as a site of eternal struggle, which is shaped and reshaped through our involvement and interaction with others on a social and cultural level, with language playing a pivotal role in revealing our subject positions and our world views. The social world and all it entails - history, practices and meanings, structures, divisions, everyday talk and interactions - is crucial to self - development. If we attempt to dissect society in an attempt to identify which aspects of it construct our identities, we will discover that each aspect is linked to another, opening up an infinite number of things to explore. Indeed, one can never discover a final ultimate truth about anyone, "there is no one essence to a person, one identity, one enduring unification or just one story to be told." (Barthes (1977).