Abstract
This dissertation examines meaning-making through memories, used by a family
rooted in Majaneng to placemake. To help unpack the depth and complexity of the
creation and maintenance of place, On Collective Memory (Halbwachs & Coser,
1992) was used as the underpinning framework. Moreover, the lived experience of
apartheid, which forced the family to create place in Majaneng, while consequently
forcing some family members to migrate to Johannesburg to sustain the family, is
also explored. Although a family makes up the sample, this dissertation focused on
four sisters who migrated to Johannesburg but maintained the ties that keep them
rooted to Majaneng. Through a narrative consisting of various qualitative methods, I
present their memories in a format that highlights their narratives of creation,
followed by the narratives they use to maintain ties to Majaneng while living in
Johannesburg. The dissertation concludes with an examination of their future
aspirations and goals, and how they hope to achieve these.
M.A. (Anthropology)