From Violent Policies to Policies for Violence Prevention: Violence, Power and Mental Health Policy in 20th Century South Africa

by Alexander Butchart, Brandon Hamber, Martin Terre Blanche and Mohamed Seedat March 11, 1998 347 Views

This chapter has three aims. First, to place violence in South Africa and social responses to it within the interpretive framework of Foucault's theory concerning power and socio-medical knowledge, and to identify the implications that this structuralist approach has for policy formulation. Second, to outline the four major discursive regimes that have conditioned South African practices in relation to violence over the course the twentieth century. Third, to present a set of concrete policy recommendations that appear congruent with the latest discourse on violence and are grounded in a public health practice designed to enable intersectoral collaboration around the prevention of violence in South Africa.

Chapter From Violent Policies to Violence Prevention

Alexander Butchart

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Alexander Butchart , prior to commencing work with WHO in May 2001, was an Associate Professor at the University of South Africa’s Institute for Social and Health Sciences. After completing his MA in Clinical Psychology in 1986, he worked as coordinator of a neurotrauma outpatient clinic until 1989. He completed his doctorate in 1995.

Brandon Hamber

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Brandon Hamber is a former CSVR Programme Manager. He holds a PhD Psychology from The University of Ulster and BA (Hons) MA (Clin. Psych) Ph.D. Clinical Psychology from The University of the Witwatersrand.

Martin Terre Blanche

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Martin Terre Blanche is, at the time of writing, a professor at the School of Social Sciences at The University of Johannesburg. He obtained his Doctor of Literature and Philosophy from The University of South Africa.

Mohamed Seedat

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Mohamed Seedat is, at time of writing, the current Head of the University of South Africa’s Institute for Social and Health Sciences and directed the South African Medical Research Council-University of South Africa Violence, Injury and Peace Research Unit for nineteen years (2001-2019).