Engaging with Society
Engaging with society
EWS2601 – Assignment 3
Unique Assignment Number: 845257
Taskeen Khan
Student number: 45297223
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Activity
Activity 1
1.1 We have seen in the discussion up to now that race played an important role in creating South Africa as we know it today. If you were to speculate about future trends, how important would you say race would be as a factor in South Africa in the future, especially when compared with class? Do you think there is a chance that greater solidarity could develop along class lines in the future? Give reasons for your answer.
1.2 Could they have become members of the upper class in the 20th century if it had not been for the colonial policy of segregation and the later policy of apartheid? Give reasons for your answer.
In a previous unit you encountered the perception that old money is more “respectable” than new money, and that the “right” furnishings and house can increase your status. In the case of the Mbeki’s, whatever old money they had had clearly disappeared. However, is there a sense in which the oak table highlighted here is indeed a marker of high status in the new South Africa? To answer this question, note that we are not referring to the obvious fact that Thabo Mbeki was at one stage president of the country, and that his family would clearly be afforded respect on that basis.
Activity 2
Re-read the four cases studies that we presented at the beginning of unit 5, as well as your summaries of the changes in poverty and inequality in South Africa, and then rate the four individuals we met in
Sandton in terms of how much you think they lost and gained from the changes we discussed in this unit.
Activity 3
3.1 Looking at why safety and security is important to humans (pay attention to the social contract theories, psychological theories of human motivation and Max-Neef’s theory on human development,
2|Page
Page
5-6
6
7-8
9-10
Activity
EWS2601 – Assignment 3
Unique Assignment Number: 845257
Taskeen Khan
Student number: 45297223
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Activity
Activity 1
1.1 We have seen in the discussion up to now that race played an important role in creating South Africa as we know it today. If you were to speculate about future trends, how important would you say race would be as a factor in South Africa in the future, especially when compared with class? Do you think there is a chance that greater solidarity could develop along class lines in the future? Give reasons for your answer.
1.2 Could they have become members of the upper class in the 20th century if it had not been for the colonial policy of segregation and the later policy of apartheid? Give reasons for your answer.
In a previous unit you encountered the perception that old money is more “respectable” than new money, and that the “right” furnishings and house can increase your status. In the case of the Mbeki’s, whatever old money they had had clearly disappeared. However, is there a sense in which the oak table highlighted here is indeed a marker of high status in the new South Africa? To answer this question, note that we are not referring to the obvious fact that Thabo Mbeki was at one stage president of the country, and that his family would clearly be afforded respect on that basis.
Activity 2
Re-read the four cases studies that we presented at the beginning of unit 5, as well as your summaries of the changes in poverty and inequality in South Africa, and then rate the four individuals we met in
Sandton in terms of how much you think they lost and gained from the changes we discussed in this unit.
Activity 3
3.1 Looking at why safety and security is important to humans (pay attention to the social contract theories, psychological theories of human motivation and Max-Neef’s theory on human development,
2|Page
Page
5-6
6
7-8
9-10
Activity