Die seksuele in die Afrikaanse tienerboek : 'n leserkundige ondersoek

Abstract

Sexuality in Afrikaans teenage fiction. Over the years the researcher perceived a great difference in the way English and Afrikaans teenage literature dealt with sexuality. Research was instigated to investigate teenagers' need to have the issue of sexuality addressed in their literature; what aspects of sexuality needed to be addressed; and if Afrikaans literature met these needs. The study of the literature on teenage development revealed the importance of sexuality in the adolescent years. Teenagers are faced with a severe dilemma caused by conflicting influences: their sexually developing bodies, peer group and media pressure to indulge in sexual activities, parental and societal limitations on sexual behaviour and their severely limited knowledge of sexual matters. In order to grow into well-adjusted adults, teenagers need to learn to make their own decisions, to act responsibly and to develop and accept an individual moral code. The role that fiction can play in fulfilling teenagers' need for sexual information and recreation is established against the background of the reality that the traditional methods of sex education (parents, school, peers, etcetera) have failed to adequately fulfil teenagers' need for information on sexuality. The following can be deduced from the background sketched above: * teenagers need information on a wide variety of sexual matters, for instance: the biological; sexual activity and behaviour and the emotions that go with them; homosexuality; abortion; rape; Incest; and the moral issues concerning sexuality. * teenage fiction can play an important part in fulfilling these information needs because fiction is a good vehicle for discussions on human emotions and moral Issues. A study of the titles published originally in Afrikaans between 1985 and 1991 revealed the following: * very few books have been written that contain sexuality as a central or even a minor theme ; * sexual aspects dealt with are mostly limited to the naive and innocent; * most aspects of sexuality, especially the more problematic subjects like AIDS, homosexuality and aberrant sexual behaviour are absent; * most books serve a conservative, White, Christian moral viewpoint; * writers dealing with sexuality tend to write in a didactic and prescriptive style. Writers, publishers and librarians alike can help to change the situation by writing books dealing with these subjects, by publishing and inspiring writers to write these books and by providing these books to the readers when they need them.