Social fabric in the GCR: Social cohesion

'Social fabric in the GCR' is a multi-year and multi-phase project that considers key features of our society, and key social dynamics that are either helping to knit us together as an 'inclusive' region, or tear us apart. In the first phase of this project, in 2011/12, GCRO partnered with the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation on a study into race and non-racialism in South Africa. The study involved 18 focus groups across the country, that provided a rich vein of information and insights for a set of authors invited by GCRO to write on the topic. Results were presented to a conference co-organised with the Kathrada Foundation in October 2011, and the best papers were collated into a special edition of Politikon, edited by David Everatt. See here for a summary of this first phase of the project, and access the transcripts of the focus groups.

In 2012/13 the 'Social fabric in the GCR' project moves to examine the ‘mapping’ of a range of identities in the Gauteng city-region (GCR) and assesses the extent to which they are informed by territorially defined notions of belonging such as Gauteng residency and citizenship of South Africa. The research is informed by theoretical approaches to questions of identity which emphasise its multiple and fluid nature. It explores dynamics of identity formation in the GCR, particularly with regard to processes of ‘othering’, i.e. a mapping of oppositions between and within different categories of identities and differing notions of self and other. Given the increasing visibility of racism, xenophobia, sexism and inequality in the city-region, the importance of regional and national identities in the self-definition of Gauteng residents (and in relation to other sets of identities), may be seen as critical to prospects for social cohesion.

The research intends to outline a set of strategic recommendations on how to recognise multiple identities and strengthen social cohesion in the GCR within a context of increased diversity and multiple shifting identities. The methodology of the project involves, inter alia, an exhaustive mining of the Gauteng City-Region Observatory’s (GCRO) 2009 and 2011 Quality of Life survey results. Both surveys asked a number of key questions about citizenship, nationality and belonging and provides valuable time series data for the latter. A Social Cohesion Index will be established from the survey results. The research will draw on academic literature about identity and race as well as a well-established base of data at the GCRO about xenophobia, non-racialism and issues of social cohesion. The project makes linkages with other work on GCRO’s research agenda, for example the Conceptualising the City-Region project in terms of capturing perspectives of Gauteng residents toward the city-region, and the project on Poverty and inequality.

This research is centrally informed by current provincial policy priorities which emphasise nation-building, inclusive citizenship and social cohesion. Social cohesion and nation-building are key aspects of current development planning strategies at all levels of government, including the work of the National Planning Commission and Gauteng’s long term strategy for the city-region known as G2055. The project’s academic value is about both building a rich source of qualitative data about life and people in the GCR and contributing to literature about identity politics at a regional and national level.

2012/13 will see the following:

The commencement of a process of writing up an analysis of the social fabric of the GCR by drawing on the 2009 and 2011 survey results;
The preparation and production of a research report. The following year will see the writing of a journal article based on this

Outputs in 2012/13

An analysis of social fabric in the GCR based on survey findings
Research report on identity and social cohesion in the GCR.