Feather, D (2020) British Policy Towards Cultural Relations with South Africa, 1960 to 1994. Doctoral thesis, Liverpool John Moores University.

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Abstract

This thesis analyses British policy towards cultural relations with South Africa in the period 1960 to 1994. These aspects of UK-South African relations have gained little scholarly attention, this thesis aims to rectify this, and demonstrate that these policies worked alongside more traditional diplomatic and economic links as a means of protecting Britain’s important interests in the country. British policy is analysed through three main themes, educational links, the exploitation of ‘cultural manifestations’, and sporting contact. However, as South Africa’s racialist Apartheid policies increasingly became an outlier in the post-colonial era, the British government’s (HMG) ability to utilise cultural connections became more difficult as African, Asian, and Caribbean Commonwealth members tried to isolate Pretoria, particularly through the sports boycott. This thesis highlights how HMG attempted to navigate its cultural policy options toward South Africa under these difficult circumstances, demonstrating the importance of the country in the minds of much of the UK’s political and administrative elite, even after its exit from the Commonwealth in 1961. British global power declined significantly in this period, and much of the academic literature suggests that Britain looked increasingly to Europe rather than its former imperial possessions. However, as this thesis demonstrates, officials clearly viewed South Africa as part of Britain’s ‘sphere of influence’, and were wary of attempts by both France and the United States to utilise sport or academic scholarships in order to enhance their own relationships with the Republic. Clearly, despite decolonisation, and South Africa’s exit from the Commonwealth, HMG still approached southern Africa with an imperial mind-set.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	South Africa; Apartheid; Soft Power; British Foreign Policy; Cultural Diplomacy
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HT Communities. Classes. Races J Political Science > JA Political science (General) J Political Science > JV Colonies and colonization. Emigration and immigration. International migration
Divisions:	Humanities & Social Science
Date Deposited:	28 Apr 2020 08:05
Last Modified:	08 Sep 2022 10:37
DOI or ID number:	10.24377/LJMU.t.00012823
Supervisors:	White, N, Vaughan, C and Miles, A
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/12823

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