Determinants of Bias Perceptions in South Africa: The Case of A Highly Unequal Society

Abstract

While objective class dynamics have received much attention in South Africa, less is known about the subjective social positions individuals place themselves in. For example, in a highly unequal society like South Africa, some individuals would overestimate (inflate) or underestimate (deflate) their social position compared to their objective class position. This paper aims to provide further information on status inconsistency in South Africa by assessing some of the socioeconomic determinants of bias perceptions. Using International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) data and a multinomial probit model, the results show that education and race play a significant role in influencing the biased perceptions of individuals in South Africa. For example, individuals with higher education levels have a stronger tendency to deflate their social position, while Coloreds, Indians/Asians, and whites tend to inflate their social positions more than Africans. The results indicate the vital role of race and education in determining status inconsistencies in a society that is still suffering from high levels of racial and education inequality due to the lingering legacy of apartheid. The results provide a better understanding to policymakers and government on the dynamics behind social status perceptions in South Africa.

Social stratification and inequality in South Africa

“…Political change might shape larger ideas of citizenship and rights, but culture on the ground is a structure slow to change. South Africans still think in terms of race, and the notion of White superiority does motivate economic action (Kirsten et al., 2023; Majavu, 2022; Seekings, 2008). Accounting for the historical construction of categories is necessary for understanding the manner and timing of changes in inequality (Tilly, 1999), and necessary to shape policies to attenuate it.…”