Dont Be Conned by Authority

Researching the life of Wolfie Kodesh

 

 

 

Background:

He was a long-time South African Communist Party member and a prominent figure in the liberation struggle who died at age 84 in Cape Town on 2 October 2002.

Kodesh was one of the stalwarts of the liberation movement. He was described by those who knew him as a soldier, a patriot, an African Nationalist, a communist, a man of laughter and a father figure.

 

Discipline:

Third-Year information and library science students at UWC researching archive management.

 

Learning Outcomes:

1                     Define different types of authority, such as subject expertise (scholarship), society position (public office or title), or special experience (participating in an historic event).

2                     Use markers of authority to determine the credibility of sources.

3                     Recognise that authoritative content may be packaged formally or informally and may include audio, visual and non-print sources.

 

Materials Needed:

A             internet

B             hardware:  desktop/tablet/smartphone

 

Activities:

 

1              To prepare for their practical lesson on archiving the  personal contents of Wolfie Kodesh, the background and his activities during the apartheid struggle has to be researched so that  the  collection can be filed in a manner that is user friendly and sensible.

 

2              Students will need to access to the archives of Mail and Guardian and The Guardian newspapers to thread Wolfie Kodesh’s activities and what else has be noted of him.  They have to question the validity of the newspaper, the journalist who wrote the piece on Wolfie Kodesh and under which circumstances it was written.

Interviews with  and about Wolfie Kodesh completed by Julie Frederickse for her book The Unbreakable Thread must be analysed and her credibility verified.  In addition the students must be observant of  the light in which Wolfie Kodesh was regarded by his peers and others whom he encountered by paying close attention to tone and register while interviews were conducted.

 

3         Students will need to register and access the visual contents that SAHA (South African History Archives) has on Wolfie Kodesh and relationships that he nurtured to validate the printed documents  that they encounter in the collection that they are busy with.

 

 

 

 

Disposition:

Throughout this process students must cognizant of the voice of authority and the role it plays in the providing the information about Wolfie Kodesh so that, as far as possible, a true reflection may be displayed of such a great man.

 

Throughout the process, they must maintain an open mind and continuously address their bias as well as those authorities they are trying question/validate.

 

They must realise the importance of assessing information and validating it so that they can remain sincere to the process of archiving and as well as trying to do justice to the subject.

 

To complete the task at hand, they must realise the importance of questioning authority and being open to varying opinions and views.

 

 

 

 

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