Abstract

The representation of indigenous African cultures in hegemonic soap operas remains a contentious issue. Critics and cultural activists have challenged the portrayal of African cultures from the prism of prescribed images and frames of reference. This article reports on a study that sought to ascertain how a contemporary South African soap opera, Generations: The Legacy, portrays indigenous African cultures. The study used a combination of quantitative content analysis and critical discourse analysis within the framework of Stuart Hall's audience reception theory. The results showed that Generations: The Legacy uses everyday discourse to highlight issues of patriarchy, gender relations, social inequities, power asymmetries, and contestations, as well as matters of domination and exploitation. While the show gives effusive expression to indigenous African cultures, it reuses existing sociocultural stereotypes prevalent in a divided society. It does not call attention to them so much as it re-enacts them. This representation can create tension and implicate intercultural relations and the survival of subaltern cultures, especially in a racially polarised and culture-sensitive society like South Africa. Soap operas can foster a more progressive and dynamic society by promoting a more nuanced depiction of indigenous values, practices and beliefs, and de-emphasising sociocultural stereotypes.

摘要

霸权肥皂剧中土著非洲文化的表现仍然是一个有争议的问题。批评家和文化活动家从规定的图像和参考框架的角度对非洲文化的描绘提出了挑战。本文报道了一项旨在确定当代南非肥皂剧“世代：遗产”如何描绘非洲土著文化的研究。该研究在 Stuart Hall 的受众接受理论框架内结合了定量内容分析和批判性话语分析。结果表明，世代：遗产使用日常话语来强调父权制、性别关系、社会不平等、权力不对称和竞争以及统治和剥削问题。虽然该节目热情洋溢地表达了非洲土著文化，但它重用了分裂社会中普遍存在的现有社会文化刻板印象。它不会引起人们对它们的关注，而是重新制定它们。这种表现形式会造成紧张并牵连跨文化关系和底层文化的生存，尤其是在像南非这样种族两极分化和文化敏感的社会中。肥皂剧可以通过促进对土著价值观、实践和信仰的更细致入微的描述，以及去强调社会文化的刻板印象，来培育一个更加进步和充满活力的社会。