South African housing policy and housing policy research: theoretical discourse in the post-apartheid era

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Date
2017
Authors
Venter, Anita
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Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract in other languages 𝘚𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘈𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘬𝘢𝘢𝘯𝘴
Abstract
𝑬𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉 The aim of this thesis is to provide an integrated epistemological analysis of the theoretical discourse on housing policy and research implementation relevant to the South African context. Chapter 1 comprises the rationale for the thesis by emphasising that there is as yet no comprehensive study that encapsulates the theoretical foundations of housing policy research in South Africa. It is further highlighted that three decades of contemporary theoretical developments on housing in Western Europe have largely gone unnoticed in the South African scholarly environment. By drawing on the traditions of post-structuralism, social constructionism and critical discourse analysis, methodological ways of addressing inadequate theory development on housing in post-apartheid South Africa are further explored. Chapter 2 is devoted to an overview of housing theory and housing discourses in developing countries. The theoretical concepts and approaches discussed in Chapter 2 are related to the Marxist and the neo-Marxist schools of thought, neo-liberalism, development theories and to the notion of political economy. Chapter 3 is an assessment of housing theory and discourse in Western Europe and contains an extensive overview of the development of theory in the European context. Specific focus falls on welfare state theoretical developments, while the value of comparative and historical methodologies in interpreting welfare state theories is expounded. In Chapter 4, the historical development of housing policies both in Western Europe and in developing countries is outlined. Conceptual themes in this chapter centre on the dualities between formal and informal housing discourses, the application of welfare state intervention in providing housing for the poor and for the low-wage working class, and mention is made of the contested, multidimensional ideologies that feature in ownership discourses. Chapter 5 deals with the relevance of the different theoretical frameworks in re-interpreting the historical narrative and the ideological underpinnings of housing policy development in South Africa. The presence of welfare state theories within the current South African housing policy is illuminated, thereby paving the way for expansion on these theories in future scholarly discourses on housing in the post-apartheid era. In Chapter 6, social constructivism is employed to indicate how theoretical concepts on housing policy may be applied in implementation projects at grass-roots level. The case studies endeavour to provide a platform conducive to the evolvement of housing policies that will be more socially and culturally responsive than were those prior to the completion of this thesis. The outputs and contribution of this thesis aim to encourage dialogues about the value of theory, research and implementation. The thesis has generated both academic and creative outputs. The academic outputs include two accredited publications and the creative outputs comprise buildings either completed or in the process of completion. The thesis highlights the relevance of evolving indigenous cultural practices in spawning housing policy discourses for the future. By specifically embracing principles of informality, both self-help building technologies and skills transfer have significant contributions to make as regards addressing housing shortages in the country in geographical locations like the Free State Province and other rural areas.
𝑨𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒌𝒂𝒂𝒏𝒔 Die doel van hierdie proefskrif is die daarstel van 'n ge"integreerde epistemologiese ontleding van die teoretiese diskoers oor behuisingsbeleid en die ter sake navorsingsimplementering in die SuidAfrikaanse konteks. Hoofstuk 1 omvat die grondrede vir die tesis deur te beklemtoom dat daar tot op hede geen omvattende studie uitgevoer is wat die teoretiese grondslag van behuisingsbeleidnavorsing in Suid-Afrika weergee nie. Daar word verder beklemtoon dat drie dekades van kontemporere teoretiese ontwikkelings rakende behuising in Wes-Europa bykans ongemerk in die Suid-Afrikaanse vakwetenskaplike omgewing verbygegaan het. Metodologiese wyses om die ontoereikende teorieontwikkeling ten opsigte van behuising in post-apartheid Suid-Afrika aan te pak, word ook ondersoek deur gebruik te maak van die tradisies van post-strukturalisme, sosiale konstruksionisme en kritiese diskoersanalise. Hoofstuk 2 behels 'n oorsig van behuisingsteorie en behuisingsdiskoerse in ontwikkelende lande. Die teoretiese konsepte en benaderings wat in Hoofstuk 2 bespreek word, hou verband met Marxistiese en neo-Marxistiese denkrigtings, neo-liberalisme, ontwikkelingsteoriee en met die begrip politieke ekonomie. Hoofstuk 3 is 'n beoordeling van behuisingsteorie en -diskoers in Wes-Europa en behels 'n omvattende oorsig van die ontwikkeling van teorie in die Europese konteks. Die soeklig val spesifiek op welsynstaat teoretiese ontwikkelings, terwyl die waarde van vergelykende en historiese metodologiee ten einde welsynstaatteoriee te interpreteer, verduidelik word. In Hoofstuk 4 word die historiese ontwikkeling van behuisingsbeleide in sowel Wes-Europa as in ontwikkelende lande geskets. Die konseptuele temas in hierdie hoofstuk is toegespits op die dualiteit tussen formele en informele behuisingsdiskoerse, die toepassing van welsynstaatintervensies in die voorsiening van behuising aan armes en aan die lae-loon werkersklas. Daar is verwysings na die omstrede, multidimensionele ideologiee wat in eienaarskapdiskoerse voorkom. Hoofstuk 5 handel oor die relevansie van die verskillende teoretiese raamwerke ten einde die historiese narratief en die ideologiese grondslag van behuisingsbeleidsontwikkeling in Suid-Afrika te herinterpreteer. Lig word gewerp op die aanwesigheid van welsynstaatteoriee in die huidige Suid-Afrikaanse behuisingsbeleid wat die weg baan vir die ontwikkeling van hierdie teoriee in toekomstige vakwetenskaplike diskoerse oor behuising in die post-apartheid era. In Hoofstuk 6 word sosiale konstruktivisme aangewend om aan te dui hoe teoretiese konsepte oor behuisingsbeleid op voetsoolvlak toegepas kan word in die implementering van projekte. Die gevallestudies poog om 'n platform te voorsien wat bevorderlik sal wees vir die ontwikkeling van behuisingsbeleide wat sosiale en kulturele faktore in grotere mate in ag sal neem as wat die geval was voor die voltooiing van hierdie proefskrif. Die resultate en die bydrae van hierdie tesis het ten doel om dialoog rondom die waarde van teorie, navorsing en implementering aan te moedig. Die proefskrif het sowel akademiese as kreatiewe uitsette gelewer. Die akademiese uitsette behels twee geakkrediteerde publikasies terwyl die kreatiewe uitsette geboue behels wat 6f voltooi 6f in aanbou is. Die proefskrif beklemtoon die relevansie van die ontwikkeling van inheemse kulturele praktyke in die voortbring van toekomstige behuisingsbeleiddiskoerse. Deur in besonder die beginsels van informaliteit te aanvaar, kan sowel selfhelpboutegnologie en vaardigheidsoordrag betekenisvol hydra tot die hantering van behuisingstekorte in die land in geografiese gebiede soos die Vrystaat Provinsie en ander landelike gebiede.
Description
Thesis (Ph.D.(Centre for Development Support))--University of the Free State, 2017
Keywords
Housing policy -- South Africa, Apartheid -- South Africa
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