Law, Language, and Science: The Invention of the "Native Mind" in Southern Rhodesia, 1890-1930 (Social History of Africa)

By the 1920s, linguistic and ethnographic projects to formalize the language and legal systems of Shona peoples in Southern Rhodesia served to impede, rather than enhance, knowledge about local communities. In the 1890s and 1900s, translation and ethnography projects were driven by a wish to manage local cultures and incorporate them into the new churches and state. Such projects required a sympathetic engagement with indigenous languages and legal systems, and drew on the expertise of local informants. Even so, during the 1910s, translation was often distorted because Africans and whites had different forms of meaning. However, when white settlers took control of the state in 1923, policies were developed that aimed to contain rather than incorporate African communities. Consequently, linguistic and ethnographic projects became focused on fixing and defining African languages and culture, setting precise limits on the identities and prospects of local people. Only those with appropriate qualifications were recognized by the state as authorities on indigenous societies. African expertise in their own languages and cultures was discounted. As a result, the possibilities of genuine communication and understanding were closed down, with long-term consequences both for ethnographic study and for the peace of the nation.

This book examines the mentalities of various communities within a district of Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe). Focusing in particular on white administrators and missionaries in the Melsetter District, it combines linguisitc/lexical analysis with historical interpretation, in an attempt to reconstruct what whites and Africans actually meant by the words and practices they used in interactions with each other. Jeater provides a detailed study of translation work in Mt Selinda, an evangelical mission; it also examines formal and informal court hearings, to contrast the perceptions and meanings ascribed to cases by white adjudicators and by African participants. This leads into an initial attempt to map out the birth of ethnography in Southern Rhodesia and to contrast it with anthropology in South Africa. By the 1920s, Africans' expertise in their own languages and culture had been usurped by self-referential white linguists and ethnographers. This account suggests that there is a tendency among archive-oriented historians to overestimate how far white missionaries and administrators really understood what Africans said and did. In addition to making a contribution to our empirical knowledge of Zimbabwe's history, the book focuses on how and why investigators first began to make claims to such knowledge. It urges those studying African history to be self-reflective about their practice, examining the historical roots of their claims to expertise. such claims

By the 1920s, linguistic and ethnographic projects to formalize the language and legal systems of Shona peoples in Southern Rhodesia served to impede, rather than enhance, knowledge about local communities. In the 1980s and 1900s, translation and ethnography projects were driven by a wish to manage local cultures and incorporate them into the new churches and state. Such projects required a sympathetic engagement with indigenous languages and legal systems, and drew on the expertise of local informants. Even so, during the 1910s, translation was often distorted because Africans and whites had different reasons for attempting to understand each other, and prioritized different forms of meaning. However, when white settlers took control of the state in 1923, policies were developed that aimed to contain rather than incorporate African communities. Consequently, linguistic and ethnographic projects became focused on fixing and defining African languages and cultures, setting precise limits on the identities and prospects of local people. Only those with appropriate qualifications were recognized by the state as authorities on indigenous societies. African expertise in their own languages and culture was discounted. As a result, the possibilities of genuine communication and understanding were closed down, with long-term consequences both for ethnographic study and for the peace of the nation. Contents......Page 6 Acknowledgments......Page 8 Introduction......Page 14 1. Hegemony and Translation: Law, Language, and Science in a Colonial Context......Page 24 2. Historical Background, 1820–1897......Page 44 PART I: FIRST ENCOUNTERS, 1890s–1900s......Page 58 3. Points of Contact, 1895–1909......Page 60 4. And the God Was Made Word: Translation in the Mission, 1895–1909......Page 78 5. “An ordinary palaver”: Laws and Courts......Page 100 6. “Out from the smoky hut”: Heathenism, Rationalism, and Uncomfortable White People......Page 126 PART II: TRANSLATION, 1910s–1920s......Page 144 7. “Can you not give the thing a name?”: Translation, Ambiguity, and Codification, 1910s–1920s......Page 148 8. “The sanctity of a contract”: Translating “Civilized” Values, 1910s–1920s......Page 168 9. “Thinking black”: Text and Translation, 1915–1925......Page 188 PART III: SEPARATION, 1920s–1930s......Page 208 10. “ChiBaba”: Turning Language into Linguistics......Page 210 11. “I do not want the opinion of a native”: Native Law and Custom, 1920s......Page 228 12. “The meddlesomeness of professors”: Theories of the “Native Mind,” 1923–1935......Page 238 Conclusion......Page 256 Selected Bibliography......Page 260 Index......Page 268 1. Hegemony And Translation : Law, Language, And Science In A Colonial Context -- 2. Historical Background, 1820-1897 -- 3. Points Of Contact, 1895-1909 -- 4. And The God Was Made Word : Translation In The Mission, 1895-1909 -- 5. An Ordinary Palaver : Laws And Courts -- 6. Out From The Smoky Hut : Heathenism, Rationalism, And Uncomfortable White People -- 7. Can You Not Give The Thing A Name? : Translation, Ambiguity, And Codification, 1910s-1920s -- 8. The Sanctity Of A Contract : Translating Civilized Values, 1910s-1920s -- 9. Thinking Black : Text And Translation, 1915-1925 -- 10. Chibaba : Turning Language Into Linguistics -- 11. I Do Not Want The Opinion Of A Native : Native Law And Custom, 1920s -- 12. The Meddlesomeness Of Professors : Theories Of The Native Mind, 1923-1935. Diana Jeater. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [237]-244) And Index.