Taking Care of the Future: Moral Education and British Humanitarianism in South Africa

466 Pages·2018·5.04 MB·English

by  Oliver Pattenden (auth.)

Moral Education
and British Humanitarianism
in South Africa
ANTHROPOLOGICAL STUDIES OF EDUCATION
Anthropological Studies of Education
Series editor
Amy Stambach
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Madison, WI, USA
This series examines the political, ideological, and power-laden dimensions
of education from an anthropological perspective. Books in this series look
at how society is defined in relation to education. It delves into the kinds
of communities that are imagined through educational policies, curricula,
institutions, and programming. Many books in the series use ethnography
to capture diverse educational positions and experiences. The series uses
concepts such as social practice, myth-making, political organization, and
economic exchange to address substantive issues pertaining to education
in the moment and over time.
More information about this series at
http://www.palgrave.com/gp/series/14767
Oliver Pattenden
Taking Care of the
Future
Moral Education and British Humanitarianism
in South Africa
Oliver Pattenden
Greater London, UK
Anthropological Studies of Education
ISBN 978-3-319-69825-0 ISBN 978-3-319-69826-7 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69826-7
Library of Congress Control Number: 2017962966
© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2018
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Cover © Oliver Pattenden
Printed on acid-free paper
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For my beautiful wife, Claire
And Barry and Jacqui, my loving parents
A
cknowledgements
Many thanks must first go to George Chant, who made it possible for me
to receive a generous Ambassadorial Scholarship from Rotary International,
which funded much of the fieldwork at the heart of this book. I am also
grateful to his colleagues at the Rotary Club of Berkhamsted Bulbourne
and Rotary District 1260, who helped to fund my return to South Africa
in 2013. I’d also like to thank members of the Rotary Club of Grahamstown
for hosting me so graciously.
During my visits to South Africa, numerous other people also offered
unwavering munificence. Every individual I had the pleasure of spending
time with at Ngomso School is an integral part of this book. Their warm
welcome will stay with me forever, and they taught me a great deal about
what it means to inspire others. The experiences we shared have fashioned
my life for the better; I only hope that I have been able to repay them in
some way. Many of those who demand special mention appear by name in
this book (albeit frequently under pseudonyms). I have not had the chance
to thank them all personally but hope to do so. I also want to acknowledge
the assistance of all my interlocutors who live in the UK.
The Anthropology Department at Rhodes became a home from home
for me. Des Bekker’s warmth and generosity knew no bounds. Silvana
Barbali, Nosipho Mngomezulu, Joy Owen, Patti Henderson, Rose
Boswell, and Penny Bernard filled my soul with laughter and my head with
stimulating discussion. Jai Clifford-Holmes is one of the world’s wonder-
ful humans. I thank him for his friendship and the hours he spent improv-
ing my work. Throughout 2011 and into 2012, Chris de Wet had the
dubious honour of supervising an inquisitive young man who had never
vii
viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
studied anthropology before. His guidance and enviable intellect have
helped to sustain my work ever since. With his wife Liz, he also helped me
to settle into my surroundings, and I thank them both for that.
If I am Ernie, in Robin Palmer I found Bert. In Grahamstown, he went
beyond the call of duty, opening up his house to me and graciously accept-
ing my boundless enthusiasm to talk to him at all hours of the day. Di,
Robin’s wife, could not have been more giving with her hospitality either.
Robin then went further by offering to supervise my research from 2012
onwards. To say that I am incredibly grateful to him for this gesture and
the endless hours of support he has given me would be an understatement.
I just hope he knows that I have not taken his encouragement, insight,
commitment, and patience for granted. Professor Palmer—you are a true
gentleman.
Several other academics have helped me along the way too. Amy
Stambach took an early interest in my work, extending a much-welcomed
invitation to spend the day at the University of Oxford. I am also grateful
to Amy for helping me to attend the CIES Annual Conference in
Washington and for all that she has done to help me to improve my work
at various stages throughout the publication process. My thanks also go to
Dalene Swanson, Charles Stafford, Leon Tikly, Charley Nussey, and Jenny
Parkes, as well as Leslie Bank, Aleksandar Bošković, and Derick Fay, who
not only examined my PhD thesis so thoroughly but also offered incredi-
bly helpful suggestions regarding the transition to publication. Gemma
Aellah and Raymond Apthorpe at the RAI have convinced me that there
is a little corner of London where I can find intellectual stimulation and
friendly conversation. During the writing and editing process, Alexis
Belson and Kyra Saniewski at Palgrave Macmillan have both been incred-
ibly supportive. I’m also grateful to the two anonymous reviewers who
helped me to improve the manuscript.
As will become apparent, one focus of this study is parental care and
nurturance. I have written every word knowing how fortunate I am to
have the two most selfless parents anyone could wish for: Barry and Jacqui
and Mr and Mrs P. Their unending desire to give everything that they
have to their children is the reason that I am now writing these acknowl-
edgements. As a child, they sustained and fed my curiosity with hours of
attention and stimulation, and as an adult, they have nourished my ambi-
tions and helped to mend my flaws. I love them both. I am also thankful
that my sisters, Lucy, Emily, and Abi, and their families have forgiven my
failures as a brother/uncle while I have focused on my research.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT S ix
In 2010, in the pouring rain, over a year before I began my studies, I
met a young lady named Claire Jared (aka Chip) in a queue for a night-
club. We were married in June 2016. Her love fuels my very being, and
her mind shapes the way that I see the world. This companionship is evi-
dent on every page. Chip has endured years of uncertainty and upheaval
to support me each and every step of the way. For every moment that she
has sacrificed herself to make me happy, I will be eternally grateful. With
the book now complete, I intend to repay her with all the love that she
deserves. My warmest thanks also go to Claire’s parents, Dave and Faye,
and all of her family, for supporting us both. Finally, it is time to shake the
paw of my co-author—our cat, Puck. Thank you for walking over my key-
board at inappropriate moments, every day for the last four years. Without
your input, I could never have reached the finish line.
c
ontents
1 H aving a Future 1
2 Living in a City, Town, and Location 59
3 Extrinsic Barriers to Learning 99
4 A Loving Education 167
5 Promoting Specialness 219
6 The Politics of Responsibility 273
7 Being Taught How to Hope 337
8 The Way Forward? 389
Bibliography 409
Index 453
xi