Description
Provides a compelling account of the realities of everyday life for the first generation of children and adolescents growing up in a democratic South Africa. The authors examine the lives of young people across historically divided communities at home, in the neighbourhoods where they live, and at school. The picture that emerges is one of both diversity and similarity as young people navigate their way through a complex landscape that is unevenly 'post'-apartheid.
About the Author
Rachel Bray is an independent researcher and former Research Fellow in the Centre for Social Science Research (CSSR) and the Department of Social Anthropology at the University of Cape Town (UCT). She has a PhD from the University of Durham and is co-editor of Monitoring Child Well-Being: A South African Rights-Based Approach (HSRC Press). Imke Gooskens graduated from the University of Cape Town (UCT) in 2006 with a Masters degree in Social Anthropology, and has begun research for a doctorate at UCT. Sue Moses graduated from the University of Cape Town (UCT) in 2006 with a Masters degree in Development Studies. She currently works at the Children's Institute at UCT. Lauren Kahn completed a Masters degree in Psychology at the University of Cape Town (UCT) in 2008, and is currently working as a researcher at the Young Foundation in London, United Kingdom. Jeremy Seekings is Professor of Political Studies and Sociology at the University of Cape Town (UCT), and Director of one of the units within the Centre for Social Science Research (CSSR). He has a PhD from Oxford University, and has held visiting appointments at Oxford, Yale and Princeton Universities. His books include The UDF: A History of the United Democratic Front in South Africa and Class, Race and Inequality in South Africa (co-authored with Nicoli Nattrass).
Reviews
"An astonishingly nuanced and thoughtful study of young South African lives, this book is testimony to the enduring power of ethnography. It is also an exemplar of the subtlety that ensues when scholars remain sober and even-tempered in the face of such volatile questions as youth, race and sex." - Jonny Steinberg, South African writer and scholar and two-time winner of South Africa's most prestigious literary prize, the Sunday Times Alan Paton Award for non-fiction. "Unique in the post-apartheid period, the authors provide a fascinating account of how adolescents from three very different communities negotiate family life, sexuality, peer relationships, neighbourhood challenges, and schooling in contemporary South Africa. Child participatory methods are skillfully combined with survey data to reveal considerable commonality in the worlds of these young people. All share the status of adolescent in a modern globalizing world which is very much attuned to the young. At the same time, the inequities of the post-apartheid era continue to structure the experience of adolescence and preparation for adult life along lines of race and class. Despite the odds, there is much evidence of resilience and hope in these young people. This finely crafted and sensitive volume will stand as a seminal text." - Prof Andy Dawes Associate Fellow, Department of Social Policy and Social Work,University of Oxford. "This thought provoking book provides rare and nuanced insight into the everyday lives of young people in post-apartheid South Africa, revealing the persistence of old inequalities amongst the seeds of change. The social complexities it unravels makes it essential reading for African scholars and for those interested in international childhood studies." - Professor Allison James, Professor of Sociology & Director of Centre for the Study of Childhood & Youth, Director of ICOSS (Interdisciplinary Centre of the Social Sciences) "This book is essential reading for social scientists, researchers, policy makers and practitioners concerned with understanding and making a difference in the lives of South Africa's children. It provides a rich and nuanced portrait of the commonalities and diversity of the contexts of childhood in three distinct communities in Cape Town. The children's narratives drive home the intractable nature of the apartheid legacy and its impact on child well-being. But most of all, their stories speak of their hopes and fears, their resilience and vulnerability and of how they traverse their complex social worlds as empowered young people who are able to source support and nurturance so vital to their welfare. Herein lies an important lesson for those who seek to work on behalf of children". - Leila Patel, Professor of Social Development Studies and Head of the Centre for Social Development in Africa, University of Johannesburg.
Book Information
ISBN 9780796923134
Author Rachel Bray
Format Paperback
Page Count 448
Imprint HSRC Press
Publisher HSRC Press
Weight(grams) 456g
About the Author
Rachel Bray is an independent researcher and former Research Fellow in the Centre for Social Science Research (CSSR) and the Department of Social Anthropology at the University of Cape Town (UCT). She has a PhD from the University of Durham and is co-editor of Monitoring Child Well-Being: A South African Rights-Based Approach (HSRC Press). Imke Gooskens graduated from the University of Cape Town (UCT) in 2006 with a Masters degree in Social Anthropology, and has begun research for a doctorate at UCT. Sue Moses graduated from the University of Cape Town (UCT) in 2006 with a Masters degree in Development Studies. She currently works at the Children's Institute at UCT. Lauren Kahn completed a Masters degree in Psychology at the University of Cape Town (UCT) in 2008, and is currently working as a researcher at the Young Foundation in London, United Kingdom. Jeremy Seekings is Professor of Political Studies and Sociology at the University of Cape Town (UCT), and Director of one of the units within the Centre for Social Science Research (CSSR). He has a PhD from Oxford University, and has held visiting appointments at Oxford, Yale and Princeton Universities. His books include The UDF: A History of the United Democratic Front in South Africa and Class, Race and Inequality in South Africa (co-authored with Nicoli Nattrass).
Reviews
"An astonishingly nuanced and thoughtful study of young South African lives, this book is testimony to the enduring power of ethnography. It is also an exemplar of the subtlety that ensues when scholars remain sober and even-tempered in the face of such volatile questions as youth, race and sex." - Jonny Steinberg, South African writer and scholar and two-time winner of South Africa's most prestigious literary prize, the Sunday Times Alan Paton Award for non-fiction. "Unique in the post-apartheid period, the authors provide a fascinating account of how adolescents from three very different communities negotiate family life, sexuality, peer relationships, neighbourhood challenges, and schooling in contemporary South Africa. Child participatory methods are skillfully combined with survey data to reveal considerable commonality in the worlds of these young people. All share the status of adolescent in a modern globalizing world which is very much attuned to the young. At the same time, the inequities of the post-apartheid era continue to structure the experience of adolescence and preparation for adult life along lines of race and class. Despite the odds, there is much evidence of resilience and hope in these young people. This finely crafted and sensitive volume will stand as a seminal text." - Prof Andy Dawes Associate Fellow, Department of Social Policy and Social Work,University of Oxford. "This thought provoking book provides rare and nuanced insight into the everyday lives of young people in post-apartheid South Africa, revealing the persistence of old inequalities amongst the seeds of change. The social complexities it unravels makes it essential reading for African scholars and for those interested in international childhood studies." - Professor Allison James, Professor of Sociology & Director of Centre for the Study of Childhood & Youth, Director of ICOSS (Interdisciplinary Centre of the Social Sciences) "This book is essential reading for social scientists, researchers, policy makers and practitioners concerned with understanding and making a difference in the lives of South Africa's children. It provides a rich and nuanced portrait of the commonalities and diversity of the contexts of childhood in three distinct communities in Cape Town. The children's narratives drive home the intractable nature of the apartheid legacy and its impact on child well-being. But most of all, their stories speak of their hopes and fears, their resilience and vulnerability and of how they traverse their complex social worlds as empowered young people who are able to source support and nurturance so vital to their welfare. Herein lies an important lesson for those who seek to work on behalf of children". - Leila Patel, Professor of Social Development Studies and Head of the Centre for Social Development in Africa, University of Johannesburg.
Book Information
ISBN 9780796923134
Author Rachel Bray
Format Paperback
Page Count 448
Imprint HSRC Press
Publisher HSRC Press
Weight(grams) 456g
