Kommunikasiekunde in Suid-Afrika: Die begin, die hede en uitdagings vir die toekoms Translated title: Communication science in South Africa: The beginnings, the present and challenges for the future

Abstract

Hierdie artikel is gebaseer op die Gert Pienaar-gedenklesing wat op 27 Augustus 2009 deur die outeur van hierdie artikel in die Skool vir Kommunikasiestudies van die Noordwes-Universiteit gelewer is. Wyle professor Gert Pienaar was vyftig jaar gelede die stigter van Kommunikasiewetenskap (toe Perswetenskap) in Suid-Afrika. Behalwe om hulde aan professor Pienaar te bring, was die doel van die lesing en die doel van hierdie artikel om die hoofstroomnavorsingsparadigmas wat kommunikasienavorsing die afgelope vyftig jaar in Suid-Afrika gerig het, kortliks weer te gee. Dit is naamlik, die positivistiese paradigma (of die bestuursparadigma) en die kritiese paradigma. In hierdie artikel word aangevoer dat normatiewe vrae oor die rol en funksies van die media in die samelewing hierdie paradigmas onderlê. Teen die agtergrond van nuwer paradigmas, soos die postmoderne en die postkoloniale paradigmas, word die toepasbaarheid en die relevansie van ou normatiewe mediateorieë in 'n nuwe samelewing en in 'n nuwe medialandskap bevraagteken en die Westerse bevooroordeeldheid daarvan beklemtoon. Teen hierdie agtergrond word vier navorsingsgebiede vir toekomstige Suid-Afrikaanse kommunikasienavorsing belig: fundamentele navorsing oor nuwe media, ontwikke-lingskommunikasienavorsing vanuit 'n Afrikaperspektief, kommunikasiebeleidsnavorsing, en navorsing oor die verinheem-sing van massakommunikasieteorie.

Translated abstract

This article is based on the Gert Pienaar Commemorative Lecture given by the author of this article on 27 August 2009 at the North-West University, Potchefstroom. The late Professor Gert Pienaar founded communication science (then Press Science) in South Africa, fifty years ago. Apart from acknowledging his contribution, the purpose of the lecture and of this article is to briefly outline the main research paradigms which have guided South African mass communication research the past fifty years, namely the positivist (or managerial) paradigm and the critical paradigm. It is argued that normative questions about the role and functions of the media in society underlie these paradigms. Against the background of new paradigms such as the postmodern and postcolonial paradigms (of which the basic tenets are also outlined) the applicability and relevance of old normative media theory in a new society and in a new media landscape (briefly described) are questioned and the Western prejudice of "old" normative theory is highlighted. With this in mind, four research areas for future South African mass communication research are emphasised, namely fundamental new media research, development communication research from an African perspective, communications policy research, and the indigenisation of mass communication theory.