Sociology and inequalities in post-apartheid South Africa: A critical review

Abstract

Sociology has been a subject of extensive debate in South Africa, especially over the last two decades. Central to the debate on sociology as a discipline and practice were efforts to document its history and paradigmatic shifts that characterized it, as well as topical themes that defined its research. One key observation in its evolution pointed to a historical shift from being a service discipline to the previous racially segregatory political regimes, especially between the early 1900s and 1960s, to a multi-paradigm discipline that challenged the racial order and inequalities in the 1970s onwards. This period marked the height of public sociology. Recent observations, however, especially in the post-apartheid period, projected a scenario of the discipline in a state of decline. Counter-evidence was nevertheless also presented suggesting not only the renewal of sociology in South Africa but also its active interest and involvement in the struggle against inequalities as part of the voices of the poor. This article calls these observations as the decline thesis and the renewal thesis, and contrasts them. The latter, I argue, is more compelling than the former. Notwithstanding this, the article argues however that the extent to which sociology in involved in struggles against inequalities is under question since public sociology, unlike in the 1970s and 1980s, is underdeveloped.

Public sociology, social justice and struggles in the era of austerity-and-crises

“…Mapadimeng (2012) disagrees that there is a general decline of post-apartheid sociology, arguing that there is not only a ‘renewal of sociology in South Africa [with] active interest and involvement in the struggle against inequalities as part of the voices of the poor’ (p. 51). He concludes that ‘the extent to which sociology is involved in struggles against inequalities is under question since public sociology, unlike in the 1970s and 1980s, is underdeveloped’.…”

“…He concludes that ‘the extent to which sociology is involved in struggles against inequalities is under question since public sociology, unlike in the 1970s and 1980s, is underdeveloped’. Mapadimeng (2012) is optimistic about the future of sociology in Africa that extends its ‘rich tradition of being primarily concerned with generating knowledge around contemporary social problems and social movements’ which stimulated ‘sociological imagination’ (p. 44).…”

“…In South Africa, public sociology was policy sociology, and the claims for Professional Sociology against Policy, Critical or Public Sociologies not only misrepresent the US experience where much of the classical Industrial Sociology texts were policy studies done for US firms -have the potential of undermining efforts at democratising the intellectual space within our universities. Mapadimeng (2012) disagrees that there is a general decline of post-apartheid sociology, arguing that there is not only a 'renewal of sociology in South Africa [with] active interest and involvement in the struggle against inequalities as part of the voices of the poor' (p. 51). He concludes that 'the extent to which sociology is involved in struggles against inequalities is under question since public sociology, unlike in the 1970s and 1980s, is underdeveloped'.…”

Desigualdades Superpuestas, Capas De Desigualdad E Interseccionalidad: Consideraciones Analíticas Y Aplicación Al Caso Colombiano

“…Reflexionar desde las superposiciones o capas resulta útil para el estudio de las desigualdades sociales. La investigación sobre desigualdades ha recobrado relevancia en la literatura contemporánea en ciencias sociales (Mapadimeng, 2013;Therborn, 2014). El problema de la desigualdad se ha enfocado en situar las dimensiones en términos de lo gradacional versus lo relacional.…”

“…El debate entre enfoques gradacionales y relacionales está lejos de encontrar una respuesta sobre cuál mirada ofrece una mejor visión de las desigualdades (Hendricks, 2003;Mapadimeng, 2013) y ambas perspectivas son necesarias para estudiar dicho fenómeno, reconociendo sus limitaciones. Por un lado, pensar en clases basadas en el nivel de ingresos permite dar cuenta de un indicador global de desigualdad como el coeficiente de Gini, por ejemplo para un país o sociedad, y en ese sentido facilita comparar los niveles de desigualdad entre países.…”