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The Emergence of Isizulu in Skeem Saam (2011) and the “Loss of Ethnolinguistic Pluralism” at the SABC 1

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The Sociolinguistics of South African Television

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Abstract

This chapter investigates how the South African Broadcasting Corporation’s (SABC) television channel, SABC 1, uses an ecological understanding of polyglossia to maintain and create ethnolinguistic dominance. Key arguments this chapter will make are as follows: (1) polyglossia is a language ideology masquerading as ethnolinguistic pluralism, (2) there is a loss of ethnolinguistic pluralism in SABC 1 because of the polyglot culture and its transmission, and (3) isiZulu is emerging as a language and cultural flare of the channel. This chapter concluded that isiZulu’s presence is rising in a soap initially meant to be a Sepedi show. Moreover, this has negative consequences for language equality in the SABC.

Reprint: Aiseng, Kealeboga. (2022). “The emergence of isiZulu in Skeem Saam (2011): Sociolinguistics factors and the politics of the ‘loss of ethnolinguistic pluralism’ at the SABC 1.” Social Identities. 28(5): 479-496.

Reprinted by permission of the publisher Taylor and Francis Ltd, http://www.tandfonline.com/.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    *Names have been changed at the request of the interviewees.

  2. 2.

    Name changed at the request of the interviewee.

  3. 3.

    *Names have been changed at the request of the interviewees.

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  1. Journalism and Media Studies, Rhodes University, Makhanda, Eastern Cape, South Africa

    Kealeboga Aiseng

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Aiseng, K. (2024). The Emergence of Isizulu in Skeem Saam (2011) and the “Loss of Ethnolinguistic Pluralism” at the SABC 1. In: The Sociolinguistics of South African Television. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-54915-1_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-54915-1_4

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