19 years after the promising democratic change in South Africa, the countries
challenges and disparities remain ubiquitous. The huge majority of black South Africans
still lives in poverty, inequality has grown since the end of apartheid, service delivery is
a permanent problem and democratic institutions are at least partly weak (Holden
2012: 95).
However, the new South Africa is not only signified by the aggravation of disparities.
Over the last years, the emergence of a black middle class became steadily more
tangible and is today a mostly undisputed phenomenon (Schrire 2005: 271; Southall
2004: 539; Everatt 2011: 79). Some research has been conducted especially to
determine definition criteria and the size of a black middle class (Rivero et al. 2003;
Southall 2004; Visagie, Posel 2011; Phadi, Ceruti 2011). The total middle class in South
Africa included 29% black South Africans in 1994, while until 2011, their share had
grown to 49.8% of the total middle class (Holden 2012: 226-227). In absolute numbers,
the black middle class made up five million people in 2011 (Visagie, Posel 2011: 8, 17)
while South Africa had a total black population of around 41 million people (Statistics
SA 2011). Hence, approximately 8.2% of the black population group belongs to the
black middle class.
Although there is research discussing the size of the black middle class in South Africa,
neither exists a comprehensive knowledge about the black middle class' attitudes
towards democracy nor is there a profound analysis to which extent the black middle
class may contribute to democracy (Everatt 2011: 79-80; Southall 2004: 528). In order
to narrow these obvious research gaps, this study asks the following research
questions:
1) How does the emerging black middle class in South Africa understand
democracy? And
2) How can the relation between the emerging black middle class and democracy be assessed or rather does the emerging black middle class in South
Africa contribute to the strengthening of democracy in the country? [...]
Table of Contents
1) South Africa at the crossroad: continuing the democratic path?
2) Theoretical prerequisites: middle class and democracy
2.1) Emerging black middle class
2.2) Democracy
2.3) Relation between middle class and democracy
3) Methodology: A qualitative approach
3.1) Qualitative data collection
3.2) Qualitative data analysis
4) The emerging black middle class in South Africa and democracy
4.1) Understanding of democracy
4.2) What kind of relation?
5) Conclusion: a promising relation
Research Objective & Topics
This thesis investigates the relationship between the emerging black middle class in South Africa and the country's democratic development, specifically questioning whether this growing demographic acts as a stabilizing force for democracy or aligns with the dominance of the ruling party.
- Socio-economic definition and growth of the black middle class in South Africa
- Conceptual understanding of democracy (political, civil, and social dimensions)
- Empirical analysis of the black middle class's attitudes toward democratic institutions
- Assessment of the link between the black middle class and the African National Congress (ANC)
- Evaluation of the middle class's potential as a pillar for democratic strengthening
Excerpt from the Book
4.1) Understanding of democracy
To get a first impression of the emerging black middle class' understanding of democracy, frequently used words were counted when the interviewees described their understanding of democracy in the second section of the interviews (fig. 1). If a word like “vote” was introduced by the interviewer's question, the word was not included into the count. Words were only counted if they were introduced independently by the interviewee.
Interestingly, the most frequently used word in the context of describing democracy was “opportunity” or the plural, “opportunities”. The words appeared 28 times in the second section of all interviews. The second most common terms were “free, freedom” whereby freedom as an essential of democracy was commonly understood as a freedom of choice: “I can say that democracy means freedom of choice” (I, p. 2, l. 23-24). The words “empower, empowerment” hold the third position. The idea of empowerment was closely associated with opportunities in the sense that a democratic system must empower disadvantaged people in society so that they might enjoy better opportunities in life. The words “vote”, “equality” and “choice” were less frequently used. However, voting is accepted as an essential pillar of democracy. The word was moderately used and compared to “opportunity, opportunities” the implications of voting were just not further elaborated by the interviewees.
Throughout the analysis of the interviews it became apparent that the understanding of democracy is still strongly linked to the past of apartheid (C1). This is an interesting finding since the target group did at least not actively experience apartheid. Demands posed to democracy and characteristics that democracy should embrace today are derived from the time of pre 1994 or the present consequences of that time: “I relate it [democracy] to apartheid within South Africa as a black person then you could not basically do anything” (II, p. 2, l. 21-23).
Summary of Chapters
1) South Africa at the crossroad: continuing the democratic path?: This chapter outlines the research gap regarding the political attitudes of the South African black middle class and establishes the primary research questions of the study.
2) Theoretical prerequisites: middle class and democracy: This section defines the emerging black middle class and the various dimensions of democracy, while reviewing existing literature on the relationship between class and democratization.
3) Methodology: A qualitative approach: This chapter justifies the use of semi-structured interviews and qualitative content analysis to investigate the specific attitudes of the selected target group.
4) The emerging black middle class in South Africa and democracy: This chapter presents the empirical findings, detailing how the interviewees understand democracy and analyzing their complex relationship with the governing ANC party.
5) Conclusion: a promising relation: This final chapter synthesizes the core findings, confirming that the black middle class is a driver of a social type of democracy while maintaining critical distance from the ruling party.
Keywords
South Africa, black middle class, democracy, democratization, ANC, political attitudes, qualitative research, social opportunity, affirmative action, BEE, political culture, multi-party system, liberalism, empowerment, civic participation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this thesis?
The thesis examines the political attitudes and democratic engagement of the emerging black middle class in post-apartheid South Africa.
What are the primary thematic areas explored?
The study centers on definitions of the black middle class, conceptualizations of democracy, the influence of historical context on political views, and the perceived role of the ANC.
What is the central research question?
The research asks how the emerging black middle class understands democracy and to what extent this group contributes to the strengthening of democratic institutions in South Africa.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The author uses a qualitative approach, conducting five semi-structured, in-depth interviews with members of the target group in Johannesburg, supplemented by secondary quantitative data.
What topics are covered in the main body of the work?
The main body focuses on theoretical frameworks, the qualitative data collection process, an analysis of democracy as "opportunity creation," and the nuanced relationship between this class and the governing ANC.
Which keywords best characterize this research?
Key terms include South Africa, emerging black middle class, democracy, ANC, affirmative action, and social empowerment.
How does the author define the "emerging" black middle class?
The author defines them as a younger generation, typically under 25, who grew up after apartheid, possess university degrees, and work in white-collar professions.
Does the black middle class favor one-party dominance?
Contrary to some previous assumptions, the findings suggest the black middle class is critical of one-party rule and expresses a strong desire for more political competition and electoral alternatives.
What role does the ANC play in this relationship?
While the ANC is historically respected for its role in ending apartheid, the middle class shows increasing critical distance due to issues like corruption and the perceived failure to deliver on promised opportunities.
- Quote paper
- Tobias Erbert (Author), 2013, The emerging black middle class in South Africa and its relation to democracy, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/264670
