So, I was on my way to my first day of work at the University of the Western Cape, a few butterflies in my stomach as I drove alone (on the LEFT SIDE of the road) across town, past some of the poorest parts of Cape Town, to the university. I had on my nice work uniform --not as nice as Alex's tie, blazer, v-neck combo, but my typical button-down shirt, vest, and khakis. the first time that I've been this dressed-up since coming to Africa.
I found a talk radio station on the radio, SAFM. The topic was "workplace stress" and the host was mc-ing a discussion about the various causes of workplace stress, the costs to companies in lost productivity, and what kinds of programs different companies have implemented. The host brought in a local expert (I forget what organization he was with), and his first statement was something like this:
"I think one of the real causes of stress in our society is this radio program. It is horrible. All you do is focus on depressing, horrible news. I don't even listen to it anymore. And what is even worse, you don't even know how to speak proper English..." The "expert", with his lovely British accent, went on to criticize the host, using specific examples from the program's first half hour of how the host didn't know how to speak "proper English." He then went on to rant about violence and crime in South Africa, and to begin to tell a story about a colleague of his who was mugged in a public park over the weekend. Eventually, the host (in a strong African accent) breathed a very long and audible sigh, and redirected the caller to address the topic of "stress in the workplace." With that redirection, the "expert" started to share his data about workplace stress, as if his previous slam hadn't even occurred.
What an insight into the deep layers of racism and cultural conflict that exist in South African society. A simple talk radio show on workplace stress quickly became a conversation about what was considered to be "proper English," and what was proper commentary for a radio show. Needless to say, most of the subsequent callers to the program spoke about the expert's SLAM, and not about the topic of workplace stress.
I'm curious to see what kinds of layers of issues we'll uncover with our service learning work. More on that to come.
Blog ya later.
Seth./.
Dance in Praise of Naomi
About Me
- Seth./.
- I am a professor of Service Learning at California State University, Monterey Bay. For one year, beginning July 2008, I will be a Fulbright Scholar, working at two South African Universities: The Univerity of the Western Cape (UWC), and The University of Cape Town (UCT).