 The ‘Hardcore’ Student Activist: The Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU), State Violence, and Frustrated Masculinity, 2000–2008Dan Hodgkinson Journal of Southern African Studies, 2013, vol. 39, issue 4, 863-883 Abstract: Studies of the politics and history of Zimbabwe since independence have neglected the significant role played by student activists. This article explores why and how this group of educated youth, who formed the first civic organisation to challenge ZANU(PF), was able to pierce gerontocratic social orders and play a political role in Zimbabwe's recent violent history. It argues that the university gave students a social and intellectual status which they used to pursue ‘self-mastery’ and participate in political activity from the 1980s. Between 2000 and 2008, however, conditions changed. State violence and the students' increasingly frustrated material position produced a particular form of political masculinity – that of ‘hardcore’ activism. ‘Hardcore’ male activists violently resisted state repression and sought to dominate other genders within the university. By exploring the skills, ideas and behaviour associated with student activism, this article gives an insight into the political background of many individuals in the highest circles of politics and civil society today. Date: 2013 Downloads: (external link) Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:taf:cjssxx:v:39:y:2013:i:4:p:863-883 Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from DOI: 10.1080/03057070.2013.858538 Access Statistics for this article Journal of Southern African Studies is currently edited by Ralph Smith More articles in Journal of Southern African Studies from Taylor & Francis Journals |
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