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Title
2050-12-31 Bridging the divide: the development, dimensions and determinants of social capital in post-apartheid South Africa |
Full text
http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/18109 |
Date
2011 |
Author(s)
Steenekamp, Cindy Lee |
Contributor(s)
Kotze, Hennie; Du Toit, Pierre; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Arts and Social Sciences. |
Abstract
Thesis (PhD (Arts and Social Sciences))--Stellenbosch University, 2011. - ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The ending of apartheid rule and the transition to democracy in South Africa in 1994 has been described, in many circles, as something of a political miracle. With the "new South Africa" came a new confidence that national reconciliation and nation building could establish a social order built on mutual trust and responsibility. Yet despite a promising institutional framework and despite the fact that the African National Congress (ANC) was elected to office with an overwhelming majority of the popular vote in all four national elections since its democratic inception, it seems little headway has been made in building a national consensus and a new sense of civic responsibility, fostered by mutual trust and tolerance; that is social capital. The body of social capital literature in South Africa has developed alongside that of the international school of thought. However, these studies are not without limitations. This study is able to lay three claims to originality. First, all previous studies of social capital conducted in South African have been limited to the practical implication thereof (social capital as the independent variable) whilst this study adopts a dimensional approach to the measurement of social capital as a dependent variable. Second, all previous studies in South Africa have been limited to the micro- and meso-level; however this study is the first to tap into micro-, meso-, and macro-level in South Africa. An investigation into the development of the three traditional dimensions of social capital in post-apartheid South Africa revealed that social trust and social networks are declining; whilst social tolerance is increasing. These features of social life are of particular concern in a newly democratised country such as South Africa rendering the development of a robust political culture a complex process that will require, most importantly, the development of a community built on shared goals. As interesting as these findings are, they appear to only scratch the surface given the political, socio-economic and cultural context of society. A worthwhile contribution to the growing body of social capital literature, therefore, is one that advances the reliability and validity of its measures. This much is achieved in this study; the third claim to originality. By expanding the traditional measures and identifying five new dimensions of social capital - generalised norms, interpersonal trust, social inclusion, formal networks, and informal networks - I was thus able to ensure a richer, more nuanced measurement of social capital in a diverse and newly democratised country such as South Africa as well as provide a more comprehensive analysis of the state of social capital in post-apartheid South Africa. Furthermore, by way of structural equation modelling, I tested the effect of various individual-level determinants, including socio-economic; political; and demographic determinants of social capital in South Africa across the different races groups in order to find possible differences and points of similarity between them. The measurement model paid attention to the size of the effect of each determinant on the various dimensions, which varied by race group. Political orientation, financial satisfaction, the importance of democracy, attitudes towards ethnic diversity, and the level of education are the strongest predictors of the various dimensions of social capital for the Black population; whereas political orientation and access to numerous sources of civic information are the two strongest predictors for the White population; while the strongest predictors for the Coloured population include life satisfaction, attitudes toward ethnic diversity, access to civic information, locus of control and age. (Indians were excluded from this analysis as a result of a low N). The structural model, on the other hand, paid attention to the extent to which the relationships between the determinants and the dimensions are comparable across each race group. The results suggest that partial structural invariance exists between Blacks and White as well as between Blacks and Coloureds; however, there exists complete structural invariance between Whites and Coloureds, i.e. all paths can be considered equivalent. Thus, for the first time in South Africa, we are able to make some empirically valid inferences about the determinants of social capital amongst the difference race groups. The results could be instrumental in the formulation of policy objectives aimed at the generation of social capital in South Africa. - AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In baie kringe word die beëindiging van die apartheidsbewind en die demokratiese oorgang in Suid-Afrika as 'n politieke wonderwerk beskryf. Met die ―"nuwe Suid-Afrika" het 'n nuwe vertroue na vore gekom dat nasionale versoening en nasiebou gevestig kon word en 'n sosiale orde op onderlinge vertroue en verantwoordelikheid gebou kan word. Ten spyte van 'n belowende institusionele raamwerk en die feit dat die African National Congress (ANC) in vier agtereenvolgende verkiesings geseëvier het, wil dit egter voorkom of baie min vordering gemaak is om 'n nasionale konsensus en 'n nuwe begrip van burgerlike verantwoordelikheid, wat ondersteun word deur onderlinge vertroue en verdraagsaamheid, te vestig, ook genoem sosiale kapitaal. Navorsingsliteratuur oor sosiale kapitaal in Suid-Afrika het saam met die internasionale benadering oor die konsep ontwikkel. Hierdie navorsing is egter nie sonder beperkings nie. Teen die agtergrond van die waargenome beperkings kan hierdie proefskrif oor sosiale kapitaal in Suid-Afrika ten minste drie aansprake op oorspronklikheid maak. Eerstens, was alle vorige studies oor sosiale kapitaal beperk tot die praktiese implikasies daarvan (sosiale kapitaal as onafhanklike veranderlike), terwyl my navorsing ook 'n dimensionele benadering tot die meting van sosiale kapitaal as 'n afhanklike veranderlike het. Tweedens, was vorige studies tot die mikro- en meso-vlakke beperk; terwyl hierdie navorsing benewens dié vlakke ook die makro-vlak navors. 'n Ondersoek na die ontwikkeling van die drie tradisionele dimensies van sosiale kapitaal in post-apartheid Suid-Afrika toon dat sosiale vertroue en sosiale netwerke algaande verminder, terwyl sosiale toleransie toeneem. Hierdie ontwikkeling is kommerwekkend. In 'n nuwe demokrasie is die ontwikkeling van 'n robuuste politieke kultuur 'n komplekse proses, wat vereis 'n samelewing wat op gedeelde waardes berus. Hoewel hierdie bevindings belangrik is, is dit 'n oppervlakkige bevinding teen die agtergrond van die politieke, sosio-ekonomiese en kulturele konteks van die samelewing. Die huidige studie lewer 'n betekenisvolle bydrae tot die groeiende vakliteratuur oor sosiale kapitaal en is ongetwyfeld navorsing wat die betroubaarheid en geldigheid van die meting van die konsep verhoog. Hierdie laaste uitdaging is die derde aanspraak op oorspronklikheid wat ek in hierdie proefskrif maak. Deur die tradisionele metingsitems uit te brei en die gebruik van vyf nuwe dimensies van sosiale kapitaal in te sluit, naamlik, veralgemeende norme, interpersoonlike vertroue, sosiale insluiting, formele- en informele netwerke, was ek in staat om 'n ryker en meer genuanseerde meting van sosiale kapitaal in é diverse en demokratiese Suid-Afrika te ontwikkel. Terselfdertyd is 'n meer omvangryke ontleding van die stand van sosiale kapitaal in post-apartheid Suid-Afrika gedoen. Deur strukturelevergelyking-model ("structural equation modelling") te gebruik, het ek die effek van verskeie invididuele-vlak determinante soos sosio-ekonomiese; politieke; en demografiese determinante van sosiale kapitaal vir die verskillende rassegroepe ontleed om sodoende die moontlike verskille en ooreenkomste tussen hulle uit te wys. Die metingsmodel gee aandag aan die grootte en effek van elke determinant op die verskillende dimensies van sosiale kapitaal en resultate toon interessante verskille tussen die groepe. 'n Verdere belangrike bevinding is dat politieke oriëntasie, finansiële bevrediging, die belangrikheid van demokrasie, houding teenoor etniese diversiteit, en die vlak van onderwys van die sterkste voorspellers van verskillende dimensies van sosiale kapitaal vir swartmense is. Vir witmense is politieke oriëntasie en toegang tot 'n aantal bronne van burgerlike inligting die sterkste voorspellers; en, in die geval van bruinmense is dit lewenstevredenheid, houding ten opsigte van etniese diversiteit, lokus van kontrole en ouderdom. (As gevolg van 'n te lae N is Indiërs by hierdie ontleding uitgesluit). Die strukturele model, aan die ander kant, verskaf resultate oor die mate waartoe verhoudings tussen die determinante en dimensies vergelykbaar is vir die verskillende groepe. Die resultate suggereer dat daar ë gedeeltelike strukturele invariansie tussen swartmense en witmense bestaan, en dieselfde patroon geld vir swart- en bruinmense. Daar is egter volkome strukturele invariansie tussen witmense en bruinmense. Vir die eerste keer in Suid-Afrika is dit nou moontlik om empiries geldige afleidings te maak oor die determinante van sosiale kapitaal vir die verskillende groepe. Hierdie bevindings kan instrumenteel wees in die formulering van beleidsdoelwitte wat daarop gerig is om sosiale kapitaal in Suid-Afrika te skep. |
Subject(s)
Social capital; Networks; Trust; Tolerance; Political Science |
Language
en_ZA |
Publisher
Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University |
Type of publication
Thesis |
Repository
Stellenbosch - Stellenbosch University
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Added to C-A: 2016-09-29;12:07:02 |
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