6 - Transition from shacks to formal human settlements – Social cohesion in Mt Moriah in the metropolitan area of Durban, South Africa.
Corresponding Author(s) : Sultan Khan
African Sociological Review,
Vol. 23 No. 1 (2019): African Sociological Review
Abstract
The transition from shack to formal human settlements can be very traumatic. It means abandoning old habits, lifestyles, relationships and forming new ones. The extent to which those that have been relocated to new settlements adjust and adapt to new forms of community life would be determined by the nature and extent of social cohesion prevalent in that community. A lack of social cohesion within resettled communities makes it prone to various forms of social disorganisation which manifests itself in a variety of social problems. The study was informed by 150 interviews with respondents selected in the different precincts of the study locality using a non-probability sampling technique. In the case of Mt Moriah, a formal human settlement it was more than a decade that residents from a number of shack settlements in the city have been resettled in this locality. It appears from the study that overtime the residents of Mt Moriah have settled down to community and family life and enjoy a strong sense of social cohesion despite many challenges surrounding service delivery and the emergence of social problems. This study highlights that a significant number of members of the community have a sense of belonging in the locality and are aspiring towards bettering their quality of life.
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- Adebayo, P. (2008). Precondition for Housing Consolidation – Towards a Suitable Package of Support for Incremental Housing in South Africa: A Case Study of eThekwini Municipality, Unpublished PhD Thesis, University of KwaZulu- Natal.
- Byrnes, H. F., Miller, B. A, Chamratrithirong, A., Rhucharoenpornpanich, O., Cupp, P.K., Atwood, A.K., Fongkaew. W., Rosati, M.J. and Chookhare, W. (2013). The Roles of Perceived Neighborhood Disorganization, Social Cohesion, and Social Control in Urban Thai Adolescents’ Substance Use and Delinquency, Youth and Society 45(3) 404–427. doi: 10.1177/0044118X11421940
- Brisson, D.(2012). Neighborhood Social Cohesion and Food Insecurity: A Longitudinal Study Journalof the Society for Social Work and Research Volume 3, Issue 4, 268-279 ISSN 1948-822X DOI:10.5243/jsswr.2012.16
- Brisson, D. and Altschul, I. (2011). Low-Income Neighborhoods Collective Efficacy Predicting Experience of Material Hardship in Low Income Neighborhoods 47: 541-563 DOI: 10.1177/1078087411400043 2011 originally published online 8 March 2011Urban Affairs Review
- Bruhn, J.G.(2009).The Group Effect, DOI 10.1007/978-1-4419-0364-8_2, © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2009
- Built Environment Support Group, (1999). Unpublished Surveys of Waterloo, Wiggins, Smithfield and Dunbar.
- Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions, (2008). Business as Usual? Housing Rights and Slum Eradication in Durban, South Africa, Report September, Geneva.
- Charlton, S. and Kihato, C., (2006). Reaching the poor? An Analysis of the influences on the evolution of South Africa’s Housing Programme in Pillay U, Tomlinson R and duToit J (eds) Democracy and Delivery – Urban Policy in South Africa, HSRC Press, Cape Town.
- Charlton, S., Silverman, M. and Berrisford, S. (2003). Taking Stock: A Review of the Departments Programme, Policies and Practices: 1994- 2003. Report for the National Department of Housing, South Africa.
- Cloete, P. and Kotze, F., (2009). Concept paper on social cohesion/inclusion in local integrated development plans. Department of Social Development, Republic of South Africa. Available at: www.presidentaward.imprividev.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Social-Cohesion-Final-Draftcorrect-IDP-DSD.pdf
- Constance, Y. (1999). From Shacks to Houses: Space Usage and Social Change in a Western Cape Shanty Town. Masters of Social Science Thesis, Department of Social Anthropology, University of Cape Town
- Department of Housing, (2004) Request for proposals for a Department of Housing Study into supporting Informal Housing, Department of Housing, Pretoria.
- Friedkin, N.E. (2004). Social Cohesion Annual Review of Sociology 30:409–25 doi:10.1146/annurev.soc.30.012703.110625
- Huchzermeyer, M. and Karam, A.(2006). Informal Settlements: A Perpetual Challenge? Johannesburg: Juta Publishers.
- Litman, T. (2017). Community Cohesion As A Transport Planning Objective Victoria Transport Policy Institute www.vtpi.org
- Khan, F. and Ambert, C.(2003). Introduction. In: Khan F and Thring P (Eds.): Housing Policy and Practice in Post Apartheid South Africa Sandown Heinemann.
References
Adebayo, P. (2008). Precondition for Housing Consolidation – Towards a Suitable Package of Support for Incremental Housing in South Africa: A Case Study of eThekwini Municipality, Unpublished PhD Thesis, University of KwaZulu- Natal.
Byrnes, H. F., Miller, B. A, Chamratrithirong, A., Rhucharoenpornpanich, O., Cupp, P.K., Atwood, A.K., Fongkaew. W., Rosati, M.J. and Chookhare, W. (2013). The Roles of Perceived Neighborhood Disorganization, Social Cohesion, and Social Control in Urban Thai Adolescents’ Substance Use and Delinquency, Youth and Society 45(3) 404–427. doi: 10.1177/0044118X11421940
Brisson, D.(2012). Neighborhood Social Cohesion and Food Insecurity: A Longitudinal Study Journalof the Society for Social Work and Research Volume 3, Issue 4, 268-279 ISSN 1948-822X DOI:10.5243/jsswr.2012.16
Brisson, D. and Altschul, I. (2011). Low-Income Neighborhoods Collective Efficacy Predicting Experience of Material Hardship in Low Income Neighborhoods 47: 541-563 DOI: 10.1177/1078087411400043 2011 originally published online 8 March 2011Urban Affairs Review
Bruhn, J.G.(2009).The Group Effect, DOI 10.1007/978-1-4419-0364-8_2, © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2009
Built Environment Support Group, (1999). Unpublished Surveys of Waterloo, Wiggins, Smithfield and Dunbar.
Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions, (2008). Business as Usual? Housing Rights and Slum Eradication in Durban, South Africa, Report September, Geneva.
Charlton, S. and Kihato, C., (2006). Reaching the poor? An Analysis of the influences on the evolution of South Africa’s Housing Programme in Pillay U, Tomlinson R and duToit J (eds) Democracy and Delivery – Urban Policy in South Africa, HSRC Press, Cape Town.
Charlton, S., Silverman, M. and Berrisford, S. (2003). Taking Stock: A Review of the Departments Programme, Policies and Practices: 1994- 2003. Report for the National Department of Housing, South Africa.
Cloete, P. and Kotze, F., (2009). Concept paper on social cohesion/inclusion in local integrated development plans. Department of Social Development, Republic of South Africa. Available at: www.presidentaward.imprividev.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Social-Cohesion-Final-Draftcorrect-IDP-DSD.pdf
Constance, Y. (1999). From Shacks to Houses: Space Usage and Social Change in a Western Cape Shanty Town. Masters of Social Science Thesis, Department of Social Anthropology, University of Cape Town
Department of Housing, (2004) Request for proposals for a Department of Housing Study into supporting Informal Housing, Department of Housing, Pretoria.
Friedkin, N.E. (2004). Social Cohesion Annual Review of Sociology 30:409–25 doi:10.1146/annurev.soc.30.012703.110625
Huchzermeyer, M. and Karam, A.(2006). Informal Settlements: A Perpetual Challenge? Johannesburg: Juta Publishers.
Litman, T. (2017). Community Cohesion As A Transport Planning Objective Victoria Transport Policy Institute www.vtpi.org
Khan, F. and Ambert, C.(2003). Introduction. In: Khan F and Thring P (Eds.): Housing Policy and Practice in Post Apartheid South Africa Sandown Heinemann.