POLITICAL VIOLENCE IN SOUTH AFRICA AS A COMMUNICATIVE ACTION: A PASTORAL-SYSTEMIC VIEW

  • Julian C Müller University of Pretoria
Keywords: South Africa, Political violence, 1994

Abstract

For the last couple of years, and especially prior to the elections during April 1994, South Africa society has been suffering because of ongoing violence.  What could be the reasons for this phenomenon?  Was it orchestrated or did it happen spontaneously?  Is the miraculous and unexpected dawning of peace perhaps explained by the functional role which a ‘symptom’ may play within a system?  The theory of functional symptoms states that the solution doesn’t lie in identifying and eliminating the ‘cause’ of the symptom, but resided rather in the changing of the organizational patterns which necessitate the symptom.
Published
2019-08-13
Section
Articles