As South Africa’s democracy matures, Steven Dubin’s Spearheading Debate: Culture Wars & Uneasy Truces analyses the following questions: How does the state mediate between traditional tribal authority and constitutional law in matters such as initiation customs or the rights of women, children and homosexuals? What are the limitations on artistic freedom in a society where sensitivities over colonial- and apartheid-era representations are acute? Whose histories are venerated and whose are obliterated? How does race open up discussions or close down dialogue? What are the parameters of freedom of speech when minorities fear that hateful language may trigger actual violence against them? And do legacies of oppression generate exclusive insights and grant special rights? Examining disputes over South African art, music, media, editorial cartoons, history, public memory, and a variety of social practices, Spearheading Debate extends the culture-wars perspective to new territory, demonstrates its cross-cultural applicability, and parses critical debates within this vibrant society in formation.