5 - Multiple meanings of the middle class in Soweto, South Africa
African Sociological Review,
Vol. 15 No. 1 (2011): African Sociological Review
Abstract
This study investigated the meanings of middle class amongst those who label themselves middleclass. 2559 people were surveyed in Soweto, South Africa biggest township. The study revealed that a diverse number of people call themselves middle class and defined class in terms of ability to afford basic goods. The label middle class seems also to denote self-sufficiency, responsibility and social mobility The paper concludes that studies of the middle class does not seen to focus on how social location affects the scope of people’s social world and their range of comparison.
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- Allen L., 2006. From rights to responsibilities: Identity, politics and ethnographic methodology, Dialogues with South African musicians. Social Dynamics, 32 (1), 1-31.
- Bonner and Segal, L., 1988. Soweto: A history. Cape Town: Maskew Miller Longman Bottero,W., 2004.
- Class Identities and the Identity of Class, Sociology 38(5) December 1. 985 -1003.
- Bottero, W., 2005. Stratification: social division and inequality. London: Routledge. Bourdieu, 1986. Distinction: A social critique of the judgement of taste. New York and London: Routledge Taylor and Francis.
- Bozzoli, B and History Workshop, 1987. Class, community, and conflict: South African perspectives. Ravan Press: Johannesburg.
- Brenner, J.,1998. Work Relations and the Formation of Class Consciousness. Critical Sociology 15(1) April 1, 83-89.
- Callinicos, A., 2006a. The resources of critique. Cambridge: Polity.
- Callinicos, A., 2006b Who is the revolutionary subject today? Paper presented to seminar What is the working class? International Institute of Social History, Amsterdam Castells, M., 1997. The information age: economy, society and culture, volume 2: The power of identity. Oxford: Blackwell.
- Crankshaw, O., 1993. On the doorstep of management: upward mobility of African workers in the metal industry and its implications for trade union organisation. South African Sociological Review 6(1) 1-18.
- Crankshaw, O. & Welch, M. & Butcher, S. 2001. GIS Technology and Survey Sampling Methods: The Khayelitsha/Mitchell’s Plain 2000 Survey. Social Dynamics, 27(2), 156-174.
- Crompton, R. 2008. Class and Stratification. Polity: Cambridge Deshpande, S. 2003. Contemporary India: A Sociological View. Penguin Books India: New Delhi.
- Devine, F. 2005. Middle-Class Identities in the United States. in Devine, F., Savage, M., Scott, J. and Crompton, R. (ed.) Rethinking Class: Culture, Identities & Lifestyle. Hampshire: Palgrave MacMillan.
- Ellemers, N., Spears, R. and Doosje, B., 1999.(eds) Social identity: context, commitment, content Malden: Blackwell.
- Erasmus, Z., 2005. Race and identity in the nation in Daniel, J., Southall, R and Lutchman, J. (eds), State of the nation: South Africa 2004-2005, Johannesburg: HSRC press.
- Jenkins, R., 1996. Social Identity. London: Routledge.
- Kelley, J. and Evans, M., 1995. Class and Class Conflict in Six Western Nations. American Sociological Review 60( 2) April: 157-178.
- Limb, 2003. No people can be expected to be loyal under such difficulties: ambiguities and identities of early African National Congress leaders in South Africa. Social Dynamics 29(1).
- Massey, D., 1994. Space, place and gender. Cambridge: Polity Press.
- Mayer, 1977. Soweto people and their social universes. Pretoria: Human Sciences Research Council.
- Manda, O. and Phadi, M., 2009. Class and Language in Soweto, Comprehending Class Conference, Centre for Sociological Research, University of Johannesburg.
- Mendez L., 2008. ‘Middle class identities in a neoliberal age: Tension between contested authenticities’. Sociological Review, 56(2), 220-237.
- Muller, S., 2006. The black middle class: the challenges of joining two economies. In Gqubule, D.
- Making mistakes and righting wrongs. Johannesburg: Jonathan Ball publishers.
- Olin-Wright, E,. 1989. Exploitation, identity and class structure: a reply to my critics. In Olin-Wright, E. et al. The debate on classes. London New York: Verso.
- Parekh, B., 2009. Logic of identity. Politics, Philosophy & Economics 8(3), 267 -284. Roefs, M., 2000. Identity and race relations. In Pillay, U., Roberts, B. and Rule, S. (eds) South African Social Attitudes : Changing Times, Diverse Voices. Cape Town: HSRC press.
- Savage, M., Bagnall, G. and Longhurst, B., 2001. Ordinary, Ambivalent and Defensive: Class Identities in the Northwest of England, Sociology 35 (4), 875-892.
- Savage, M. 2002. Social Exclusion and Class Analysis. In Braham, J. and Janes, L. Social Differences and Divisions. Malden: Blackwell.
- Seekings, J. and Natrass, N., 2005. Class, race, and inequality in South Africa. New Haven: Yale University Press.
- Schlemmer, L. 2005. ‘Lost In Transformation? South Africa’s Emerging African Middle Class’. CDE Focus 8.
- Schoen, J. 2006. Who or what is the middle class? Accessed from www.msnbc.com on 30 October 2008.
- Southall, R., 2004. Political change and the black middle class in democratic South Africa. Canadian Journal of African Studies 38(3): 521-542.
- Thompson, E.P., 1963, The making of the English working class, New York: Pantheon. Urciuoli, B., 1995.
- Language and Borders. Annual Review of Anthropology 24, 525-546. Vale, 2003.
- Sovereignty, identity and the prospects for South Africa’s people. In Chidester, D., Dexter, P and James, W. (eds) What holds us together: social cohesion in South Africa. Cape Town: HSRC press. Zegeye, A., Liebenberg, I. and Houston, G., 2000. Resisting Ethnicity from above: social identities and democracy in South Africa, in Muthien, Y., Khosa, M. and Magubane, B. (eds) Democracy and governance review: Mandela’s legacy 1994-1999, Pretoria: HSRC press.
- Zussman, R. 1985. Mechanics of the Middle Class. Berkeley, California. University of California.
References
Allen L., 2006. From rights to responsibilities: Identity, politics and ethnographic methodology, Dialogues with South African musicians. Social Dynamics, 32 (1), 1-31.
Bonner and Segal, L., 1988. Soweto: A history. Cape Town: Maskew Miller Longman Bottero,W., 2004.
Class Identities and the Identity of Class, Sociology 38(5) December 1. 985 -1003.
Bottero, W., 2005. Stratification: social division and inequality. London: Routledge. Bourdieu, 1986. Distinction: A social critique of the judgement of taste. New York and London: Routledge Taylor and Francis.
Bozzoli, B and History Workshop, 1987. Class, community, and conflict: South African perspectives. Ravan Press: Johannesburg.
Brenner, J.,1998. Work Relations and the Formation of Class Consciousness. Critical Sociology 15(1) April 1, 83-89.
Callinicos, A., 2006a. The resources of critique. Cambridge: Polity.
Callinicos, A., 2006b Who is the revolutionary subject today? Paper presented to seminar What is the working class? International Institute of Social History, Amsterdam Castells, M., 1997. The information age: economy, society and culture, volume 2: The power of identity. Oxford: Blackwell.
Crankshaw, O., 1993. On the doorstep of management: upward mobility of African workers in the metal industry and its implications for trade union organisation. South African Sociological Review 6(1) 1-18.
Crankshaw, O. & Welch, M. & Butcher, S. 2001. GIS Technology and Survey Sampling Methods: The Khayelitsha/Mitchell’s Plain 2000 Survey. Social Dynamics, 27(2), 156-174.
Crompton, R. 2008. Class and Stratification. Polity: Cambridge Deshpande, S. 2003. Contemporary India: A Sociological View. Penguin Books India: New Delhi.
Devine, F. 2005. Middle-Class Identities in the United States. in Devine, F., Savage, M., Scott, J. and Crompton, R. (ed.) Rethinking Class: Culture, Identities & Lifestyle. Hampshire: Palgrave MacMillan.
Ellemers, N., Spears, R. and Doosje, B., 1999.(eds) Social identity: context, commitment, content Malden: Blackwell.
Erasmus, Z., 2005. Race and identity in the nation in Daniel, J., Southall, R and Lutchman, J. (eds), State of the nation: South Africa 2004-2005, Johannesburg: HSRC press.
Jenkins, R., 1996. Social Identity. London: Routledge.
Kelley, J. and Evans, M., 1995. Class and Class Conflict in Six Western Nations. American Sociological Review 60( 2) April: 157-178.
Limb, 2003. No people can be expected to be loyal under such difficulties: ambiguities and identities of early African National Congress leaders in South Africa. Social Dynamics 29(1).
Massey, D., 1994. Space, place and gender. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Mayer, 1977. Soweto people and their social universes. Pretoria: Human Sciences Research Council.
Manda, O. and Phadi, M., 2009. Class and Language in Soweto, Comprehending Class Conference, Centre for Sociological Research, University of Johannesburg.
Mendez L., 2008. ‘Middle class identities in a neoliberal age: Tension between contested authenticities’. Sociological Review, 56(2), 220-237.
Muller, S., 2006. The black middle class: the challenges of joining two economies. In Gqubule, D.
Making mistakes and righting wrongs. Johannesburg: Jonathan Ball publishers.
Olin-Wright, E,. 1989. Exploitation, identity and class structure: a reply to my critics. In Olin-Wright, E. et al. The debate on classes. London New York: Verso.
Parekh, B., 2009. Logic of identity. Politics, Philosophy & Economics 8(3), 267 -284. Roefs, M., 2000. Identity and race relations. In Pillay, U., Roberts, B. and Rule, S. (eds) South African Social Attitudes : Changing Times, Diverse Voices. Cape Town: HSRC press.
Savage, M., Bagnall, G. and Longhurst, B., 2001. Ordinary, Ambivalent and Defensive: Class Identities in the Northwest of England, Sociology 35 (4), 875-892.
Savage, M. 2002. Social Exclusion and Class Analysis. In Braham, J. and Janes, L. Social Differences and Divisions. Malden: Blackwell.
Seekings, J. and Natrass, N., 2005. Class, race, and inequality in South Africa. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Schlemmer, L. 2005. ‘Lost In Transformation? South Africa’s Emerging African Middle Class’. CDE Focus 8.
Schoen, J. 2006. Who or what is the middle class? Accessed from www.msnbc.com on 30 October 2008.
Southall, R., 2004. Political change and the black middle class in democratic South Africa. Canadian Journal of African Studies 38(3): 521-542.
Thompson, E.P., 1963, The making of the English working class, New York: Pantheon. Urciuoli, B., 1995.
Language and Borders. Annual Review of Anthropology 24, 525-546. Vale, 2003.
Sovereignty, identity and the prospects for South Africa’s people. In Chidester, D., Dexter, P and James, W. (eds) What holds us together: social cohesion in South Africa. Cape Town: HSRC press. Zegeye, A., Liebenberg, I. and Houston, G., 2000. Resisting Ethnicity from above: social identities and democracy in South Africa, in Muthien, Y., Khosa, M. and Magubane, B. (eds) Democracy and governance review: Mandela’s legacy 1994-1999, Pretoria: HSRC press.
Zussman, R. 1985. Mechanics of the Middle Class. Berkeley, California. University of California.