Negotiating Voice: An Assessment of the Democratic Relationship between the San and the Government of the Republic of Namibia

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dc.contributor.advisorRice, Roberta
dc.contributor.authorMatchullis, Bethany
dc.contributor.committeememberRice, Roberta
dc.contributor.committeememberRay, Donald I.
dc.contributor.committeememberHiebert, Maureen S.
dc.date2019-06
dc.date.accessioned2018-12-14T17:52:31Z
dc.date.available2018-12-14T17:52:31Z
dc.date.issued2018-12-13
dc.description.abstractThis paper uses Charles Tilly’s processes and mechanisms of democratization to explore best practices and barriers to democratizing the relationship between the Government of the Republic of Namibia (GRN), and San citizens, who are a minority Indigenous Peoples. The research incorporates an intensive literature review as well as participant responses from field research in Namibia during February 2018. While San-GRN relations dramatically improved after independence, the ongoing democratization eventually hit a glass ceiling for San Namibians. A deeper investigation reveals that San-GRN democratic communication platforms are often co-opted, the San hold unstable access to NGO political resources, and that arbitrary decisions continue to be made on behalf of San citizens by public officials. The research finds that unsupportive institutions, as well as maintained and reinforced stereotypes of the San as ‘incapable’ in public politics have become core barriers to democratizing San-GRN relations. Importantly, despite the GRN approach of denying ethnic power relations in contemporary politics, the San continue to be excluded from the full benefits of democracy due to their ongoing unequal relations as a collective identity. By engaging in a qualitative process-tracing assessment to explore how the democratic relationship between the GRN and the San has changed since independence, this study provides evidence-based best practices and barriers which can be used by the San, the GRN, and their supporters in their efforts to improve their democratic well-being.en_US
dc.identifier.citationMatchullis, B. (2018). Negotiating Voice: An Assessment of the Democratic Relationship between the San and the Government of the Republic of Namibia (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.en_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/34968
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1880/109346
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisher.facultyArtsen_US
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.en_US
dc.subjectdemocracyen_US
dc.subjectminorityen_US
dc.subjectSanen_US
dc.subjectNamibiaen_US
dc.subjectIndigenousen_US
dc.subjectCharles Tillyen_US
dc.subjectUNDRIPen_US
dc.subject.classificationHistory--Africanen_US
dc.subject.classificationPolitical Scienceen_US
dc.subject.classificationEthnic and Racial Studiesen_US
dc.subject.classificationPublic and Social Welfareen_US
dc.subject.classificationSocial Structure and Developmenten_US
dc.titleNegotiating Voice: An Assessment of the Democratic Relationship between the San and the Government of the Republic of Namibiaen_US
dc.typemaster thesisen_US
thesis.degree.disciplinePolitical Scienceen_US
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgaryen_US
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Arts (MA)en_US
ucalgary.item.requestcopytrue
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