scholarly journals Housing, planning and urban health: Historical and current perspectives from South Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (48) ◽  
pp. 23-34
Author(s):  
Job Gbadegesin ◽  
Michael Pienaar ◽  
Lochner Marais
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Urban Health ◽  
Informal Settlements ◽  
Capabilities Approach ◽  
Current Understanding ◽  
Social Concern ◽  
Health Concerns ◽  
History Of ◽  
Housing Planning ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractGlobally, policymakers often describe informal settlements and slums in terms of health problems. In this paper we trace the way housing and planning have been linked to health concerns in the history of South Africa and we assess post-apartheid literature on the topic. We note that researchers continue to rely on a biomedical understanding of the relationship between housing, planning and health although, we argue, the links between them are tenuous. We propose the capabilities approach as a way to understand this relationship. Reframing the relationship between housing, planning and health within the capabilities approach may improve the current understanding of this link.AimThis paper discusses the historical links between housing, planning and health in South Africa, assesses post-apartheid policy, and reviews post-apartheid literature on the relationship between housing, planning and health.Results and conclusionsWe find it is assumed that the link between housing, planning and health is a biomedical concern and not a social concern. We argue that scholars thinking about this relationship should consider the opportunities embedded in the capabilities approach to understand health outside the biomedical frame.

EVERYDAY POLITICS AND COLLECTIVE MOBILIZATION AGAINST FOREIGNERS IN A SOUTH AFRICAN SHACK SETTLEMENT

Africa ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 85 (1) ◽  
pp. 131-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamlyn Monson
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Social Distance ◽  
Informal Settlements ◽  
Racial Identities ◽  
Shared Experiences ◽  
The Social ◽  
History Of ◽  
Equal Citizenship

ABSTRACTIn contrast to the tolerant and largely peaceful ‘living politics' of informal settlements, as embodied by the social movement Abahlali baseMjondolo, this article considers a darker side of squatter politics: ‘xenophobic’ mobilization. I show how the historical stratification of citizenship in South Africa remains spatially embedded in longstanding informal settlements, where distinctive repertoires of collective action have been shaped by a (still unfinished) history of struggle for inclusion. Using archival research and interviews conducted in the informal settlements of Atteridgeville, Gauteng, I show how the continuing struggle for equal citizenship draws on shared experiences of mundane hardship and collective labour, giving rise to social distance between established local squatters and politically indifferent foreign newcomers. At times of protest, this polarity is concentrated by and converges with familiar practices of insurgent citizenship, creating a context for mobilization against foreigners. In this sense, ‘xenophobic’ mobilization may be seen to articulate a claim for inclusion by structurally excluded ‘citizens', rather than an exclusionary claim by those who already belong. The article provides a useful counterpoint to readings of ‘xenophobic’ violence that focus on the role of elite discourses, instrumental leaders or crude racial identities in shaping such mobilization.

Kritiese realisme, die Bybel, die gereformeerde belydenisskrifte en die Christelike geloof

1995 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-205
Author(s):  
I.J.J. Spannenberg
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Critical Realism ◽  
High Tide ◽  
Dutch Reformed ◽  
Christian Religion ◽  
Reformed Church ◽  
History Of ◽  
The One ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Ebb And Flow

AbstractA number of overviews on the Biblical Sciences in South Africa have recently appeared. This article pays special attention to the one written by F E Deist (1994) Ervaring, rede en metode in Skrifuitleg: 'n Wetenskapshistoriese ondersoek na Skrifuitleg in die Ned Geref Kerk 1840-1990. Deist identifies two epistemological traditions in the Dutch Reformed Church (Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk): naive realism and critical realism, and indicates the 'ebb and flow' of these traditions in the history of the Biblical Sciences. Since the seventies critical realism has experienced a high tide. The article discusses the effects that this high tide has for the relationship between the Biblical Sciences and Dogmatics, the Biblical Sciences and the Reformed confessions of faith, and the Biblical Sciences and the Christian religion.

scholarly journals Sounding the Cape: Music, Identity and Politics in South Africa

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denis-Constant Martin
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Cape Town ◽  
Rhythmic Pattern ◽  
Racial Identities ◽  
History Of ◽  
Musical Genres ◽  
Analytical Tools ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The City ◽  
Musical Styles

For several centuries Cape Town has accommodated a great variety of musical genres which have usually been associated with specific population groups living in and around the city. Musical styles and genres produced in Cape Town have therefore been assigned an ìidentityî which is first and foremost social. This volume tries to question the relationship established between musical styles and genres, and social --in this case pseudo-racial --identities. In Sounding the Cape, Denis-Constant Martin recomposes and examines through the theoretical prism of creolisation the history of music in Cape Town, deploying analytical tools borrowed from the most recent studies of identity configurations. He demonstrates that musical creation in the Mother City, and in South Africa, has always been nurtured by contacts, exchanges and innovations whatever the efforts made by racist powers to separate and divide people according to their origin. Musicians interviewed at the dawn of the 21st century confirm that mixture and blending characterise all Cape Town's musics. They also emphasise the importance of a rhythmic pattern particular to Cape Town, the ghoema beat, whose origins are obviously mixed. The study of music demonstrates that the history of Cape Town, and of South Africa as a whole, undeniably fostered creole societies. Yet, twenty years after the collapse of apartheid, these societies are still divided along lines that combine economic factors and 'racial'categorisations. Martin concludes that, were music given a greater importance in educational and cultural policies, it could contribute to fighting these divisions and promote the notion of a nation that, in spite of the violence of racism and apartheid, has managed to invent a unique common culture.

Russia and South Africa: Historical Memory. Part 1

2020 ◽  
pp. 18-32
Author(s):  
Ndlovu Sifiso Mxolisi
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Soviet Union ◽  
Former Soviet Union ◽  
Historical Memory ◽  
Diplomatic History ◽  
The Soviet Union ◽  
Russian State ◽  
History Of ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
The Relationship

In order to prove that the relationship between South Africa and Russia began well before the democratic dispensation in South Africa, the author is of the belief that the present Russian state inherited the mantle of the former Soviet Union state and therefore the two place names are used interchangeably. The timeline for this article begins from the 1960s to the present, particularly the era after the formation of post-1994 democratic South Africa. The themes to be analysed relate to the writing of a brief ‘diplomatic’ history of South Africa and the Soviet Union and will focus on progressive internationalism, diplomacy, foreign policy, communism and anti-communism in South Africa.

DEBATING THE ANC'S EXTERNAL LINKS DURING THE STRUGGLE AGAINST APARTHEID

Africa ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 85 (1) ◽  
pp. 154-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
HUGH MACMILLAN
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Soviet Union ◽  
South African ◽  
Recent Book ◽  
The Soviet Union ◽  
History Of ◽  
Methodological Approaches ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Ruling Party

Several recent publications have explored the African National Congress's (ANC's) external links during South Africa's apartheid years. The following four texts offer an insight into the very different personal and methodological approaches that have so far shaped attempts to understand this aspect of the ANC's struggle. The section starts with a review of Stephen Ellis's recent book External Mission: the ANC in exile, 1960–1990 by Hugh Macmillan, who argues that Ellis overemphasizes the relationship between the ANC and the South African Communist Party (SACP). In a response to this review, Stephen Ellis justifies his approach by pointing to the importance of interpretation for the production of history, but also by referring to the different networks and resources, both in South Africa and beyond, on which he and Macmillan were able to draw. A review of Hugh Macmillan's new book The Lusaka Years: the ANC in exile in Zambia, 1963 to 1994 by Arianna Lissoni follows. Lissoni agrees with the author that the debate about the ANC in exile must be understood in the context of contemporary disaffection with South Africa's ruling party. Emphasizing the specificity of the Zambian experience, she welcomes Macmillan's focus on the multiplicity of experiences in exile as potentially opening new avenues for further study and reflection on the ANC. Finally, Mariya Kurbak's consideration of Irina Filatova and Apollon Davidson's The Hidden Thread: Russia and South Africa in the Soviet era explains that the authors' close understanding of Russian–South African relations enables them to illuminate the previously hidden importance of the Soviet Union in the history of South Africa and the ANC.

African, American and European Trajectories of Modernity

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
African American ◽  
World History ◽  
Historical Time ◽  
Global Context ◽  
The World ◽  
History Of ◽  
History Of Europe ◽  
The Relationship

This book asks why, from some moment onwards, ‘Europe’ and ‘the rest of the world’ entered into a particular relationship. This relationship was not merely one of domination but one that was conceived as a kind of superiority; more specifically, as an ‘advance’ in historical time. Toward this end, the book first analyses the emergence of this Atlantic modernity, then proceeds to compare aspects of contemporary Southern modernity, focusing on Brazil, Chile and South Africa. Finally, it explores the dynamics of contemporary modernity worldwide, looking at the relationship between past oppression and injustice and expectations for future freedom and justice. The book firmly links the history of Europe to world history, situating European modernity in its global context.

scholarly journals Beyond denial and exclusion: The history of relations between Christians and Muslims in the Cape Colony during the 17th–18th centuries with lessons for a post-colonial theology of religions

2016 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaco Beyers
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
18Th Century ◽  
Theology Of Religions ◽  
Colonial Era ◽  
Post Colonial ◽  
The Future ◽  
History Of ◽  
Current Context ◽  
Muslim Communities ◽  
The Relationship

Learning from the past prepares one for being able to cope with the future. History is made up of strings of relationships. This article follows a historical line from colonialism, through apartheid to post-colonialism in order to illustrate inter-religious relations in South-Africa and how each context determines these relations. Social cohesion is enhanced by a post-colonial theology of religions based on the current context. By describing the relationship between Christians and Muslims during the 17th–18th centuries in the Cape Colony, lessons can be deduced to guide inter-religious relations in a post-colonial era in South Africa. One of the most prominent Muslim leaders during the 17th century in the Cape Colony was Sheik Yusuf al-Makassari. His influence determined the future face of Islam in the Cape Colony and here, during the 18th century, ethics started playing a crucial role in determining the relationship between Christians and Muslims. The ethical guidance of the Imams formed the Muslim communities whilst ethical decline was apparent amongst the Christian colonists during the same period. The place of ethics as determinative of future inter-religious dialogue is emphasised. Denial and exclusion characterised relationships between Christians and Muslims. According to a post-colonial understanding of inter-religious contact the equality and dignity of non-Christian religions are to be acknowledged. In the postcolonial and postapartheid struggle for equality, also of religions, prof Graham Duncan, to whom this article is dedicated, contributed to the process of acknowledging the plurality of the religious reality in South Africa.

scholarly journals From fragmentation to fragile unity: Organizational fault-lines in South African business

1998 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicoli Nattrass
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Business Community ◽  
Economic Sectors ◽  
Collective Action Problems ◽  
History Of ◽  
Fault Lines ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Over Time

This article explores the nature and history of organized business in South Africa. It describes the major racial, sectoral and other fault-lines which fracture the business community, and indicates that many of these are the legacy of apartheid. It points out that the relationship between business and the state was ambiguous, varied between the economic sectors, and changed radically over time. The latter sections of the article discuss the role of business in South Africa's transition (and the collective action problems which were experienced), and charts the developments which lead up to the creation of the mega federation Business South Africa (BSA). It is argued that BSA represents an important, yet fragile, step towards unity.

A History of Ethical Codes in South African Psychology: An Insider's View

1998 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 135-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas R. Wassenaar
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Professional Ethics ◽  
Future Trends ◽  
Developmental History ◽  
Ethical Codes ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Relationship

The purpose of this article is to present a developmental history of formal professional ethics in psychology in South Africa. Particular emphasis is placed on the relationship between legislation governing the registration of psychologists and professional ethics. Current and future trends emphasising the need to transform professional structures in keeping with the democratic ethos of post-apartheid South Africa are also discussed.

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