ABSTRACT
The introduction provides an overview of the book as a combination of history, ethnography, and discourse analysis. The Joint Enrichment Project (JEP) was a non-governmental organization (NGO) prominent in youth development in South Africa from 1986–2008. JEP's expansive, innovative vision made it unique among youth development NGOs; through the years it served as a stepping stone for youth participants, a launching pad for staff, and a platform for directors. The introduction opens with two visits to the Hector Pieterson Memorial in Soweto on two separate June mornings: In 1998, and twenty years later in 2018 through the eyes and memories of former JEP Youth Work Scheme (YWS) participants. These visits to the memorial hint at the layers of history and experiences that will be peeled back in the chapters to follow. The concept of a “hidden history” of JEP is explained. The extended case method is introduced as an exploration of the mutually constitutive relationship between historical and political forces, and individuals. Key theoretical concepts and analytical constructs are briefly explained, including self-reflexivity and structuration, technicist and social-constructivist views of learning, and critical discourse analysis. A map of the book is provided, and each chapter is briefly summarized.
