ABSTRACT Although academic debates and conversations on the subject of identity formation are numerous and too well known to rehearse, much of their focus has generally been on the discourse of the empowered; that is the discourse of those who control, design and create the public space. Such a focus overlooks the fact that identities are multi-layered, self-imposed and contested just as they are ascribed by others and, therefore, require a critical analysis to avoid essentialism that has bedevilled most mainstream academic debates and conversations on belonging and identity formation. This article uses the concept of vernacular discourse to examine emergent political languages that have shaped and continue to mediate everyday narratives about identity and belonging in southern Africa. The specific focus is on the post-apartheid South African context with some passing remarks on Zimbabwe and Botswana.

中文翻译：

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话语，新兴的政治语言和在南部非洲的归属

摘要尽管关于身份形成这一主题的学术辩论和讨论很多，而且众所周知，所以很难再进行演练，但它们的焦点通常集中在赋权者的论述上。那就是那些控制，设计和创造公共空间的人的话语。这种关注忽视了以下事实：身份就像其他人赋予身份一样是多层的，自我强加的和有争议的，因此需要进行批判性分析，以避免本质主义困扰大多数主流学术辩论以及有关归属和身份形成的对话。本文使用白话语的概念来研究新兴的政治语言，这些语言已经塑造并继续调解关于南部非洲身份和归属的日常叙事。