Attitudes toward a South African Liberation Movement

Abstract

The present investigation sought to determine attitudes toward the African National Congress (A.N.C.) among groups of black and white South African university students, especially because the A.N.C. was outlawed in South Africa. Results indicate that, among the white Afrikaans speaking group, negative attitudes toward the A.N.C. were not associated with authoritarianism, conformity, or racial prejudice. By contrast, the English speaking group with negative attitudes toward the A.N.C. was observed to score high on a measure of patriotism and to conform to group norms. Among the black students there were strong pressures on those with anti-A.N.C. attitudes to conform. The results are analyzed in the light of the current situation in South Africa.