Reconstituting Pessimistic Discourses (Interview) (Company Overview‪)‬

Abstract The story of South Africa's struggles and present achievements is highlighted in its national museums. An examination of the discourses constructed by and the pedagogies utilised in these museums shares narratives of progress, memorial and optimism. On a continent whose stories are typically told as tales of pessimism and doom, these narratives produce a new and different discourse surrounding South Africa. Ultimately, this article finds that these 'new', optimistic discourses exist with a framework of global pessimism placed upon Africa by a neoliberal world dependent upon an underdeveloped Africa.