Department of Political Science

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Browsing Department of Political Science by Subject "Affirmative action programs -- Law and legislation -- South Africa"

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    White women's long 'work' to freedom : an analysis of the inconsistencies surrounding the inclusion of white women in affirmative action
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2004-12) Venter, Trace Joan; Du Toit, P. V. D. P.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Political Science.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Since 1994 the new ANC led South African Government has introduced a number of policies that have been aimed at promoting equality in all spheres of life including the employment sector. Forming an important part of these policies has been the upliftment of women who were severely discriminated against under the former Apartheid government. But in recent years uncertainty has risen over whether white women should be included in these upliftment policies. The research problem this thesis tries to address consists of two related problems. Firstly inconsistency seems to exist between the government's two different upliftment policies namely Affirmative Action and Transformation with regards to the inclusion of white women. The second problem is that inconsistency exists between people's opinions over whether white women should be included in policies aimed at promoting equality in the employment sector. This thesis used both qualitative and quantitative methods to address the research problem. With regards to the first problem this thesis studied Affirmative Action legislation the most important being the Employment Equity Act as well government's Transformation policies the most important being the Black Economic Empowerment Act in order to identify the inconsistencies that exist between the two. In order to address the second problem this thesis studies the qualitative arguments of academics for and against the inclusion of white women in Affirmative action. Two case studies are also included which identify the experiences of African and white women in the employment sector under Affirmative Action. Once this is done this thesis moves onto a quantitative method of measurment by study the results of the Markinor M-Bus survey conducted in 2004 in order to identify the opinions of the general South African population with regards to the inclusion of white women in Affirmative Action. The results of the M-Bus survey is also used to test the hypotheses introduced in this thesis. These hypotheses aim at identifying whether demographic variables affect South African's opinions on the inclusion of white women in Affirmative Action. Six demographic variables were studied namely race, gender, political party support, education, income and age. This thesis clearly finds that Affirmative Action and Black Economic Empowerment do not correspond with each other with regards to the inclusion of white women in Affirmative Action. While this thesis identifies that tension exists between academics supporting the inclusion of white women in Affirmative Action and those opposing it, it argues that it is difficult to discem which group is right especially when this thesis tries to maintain an objective position. After studying the results of the M-Bus survey this thesis finds that overall the general South African population is seen to oppose the inclusion of white women in Affirmative Action. After testing the hypotheses this thesis also finds that age and gender do not affect South African's opinions with regards to the inclusion of white women in Affirmative Action. They therefore do not play the role of independent variables. Education, income, political party support and race are found to play the role of independent variables. This thesis argues that these four demographic variables are all components forming a larger composite independent variable in the study. This thesis also argues that some of these demographic variables may play the role of more significant independent variables than others. Race is argued as being possibly the most significant independent variable within this composite independent variable affecting income, political party and education. It is also seen to affect gender and age. Education is also argued by this thesis as possibly being a more signi ficant independent variable than income and political party support. This thesis concludes by arguing that education could possibly replace race in the future as the most significant independent variable which affects the opinions of South Africans with regards to the inclusion of white women in Affirmative Action. This would have a positive affect it could narrow the racial cleavage existing between race groups in South Africa today. This thesis also concludes by arguing that the inconsistency that exists between Affirmative Action and the Government's Transformation policies as well as the polarization of opinions between South Africans with regards to the inclusion of white women in Affirmative Action has a negative affect on democratic consolidation.