Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / 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. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Sedert 1994 het die nuwe Suid-Afrikaanse regenng, onder leiding van die ANC,
verskeie nuwe beleide in werking gestel wat daarop gemik is om gelykheid in alle
sfere van die samelewing te bevorder, insluitende die indiensneming-sektor. 'n
Belangrike deel van hierdie beleide is die opheffing van vroue, teen wie daar swaar
gediskrimineer was tydens die Apartheid regering se bewind. Daar het egter in die
onlangse verlede onsekerheid onstaan oor die insluiting van blanke vroue in hierdie
opheffingsbeleide. Die navorsingsprobleem wat deur hierdie tesis aangespreek word bestaan uit twee
verwante probleme. Eerstens blyk dit dat daar 'n teenstrydigheid bestaan tussen die
regering se twee opheffingsbeleide, Regstellende Aksie en Transformasie, wat die
insluiting van blanke vroue betref. Die tweede probleem is die meningsverskil wat
bestaan in die openbare mening oor die insluiting van blanke vroue in beleide wat
daarop gemik is om gelykheid te bevorder in die indiensneming-sektor. Hierdie tesis het kwalitatiewe sowel as kwantitatiewe metodes gebruik om die
navorsingsprobleem aan te spreek. Met betrekking tot die eerste probleem, het hierdie
tesis die Regstellende Aksie wetgewing, wat die Wet op Gelyke Indiensneming sowel
as die regering se Transformasie beleide, waarvan die Wets op Swart Ekonomiese
Bemagtiging die belangrikste is, bestudeer om die teenstrydighede wat tussen die
twee is te identifiseer.
Kwalitatiewe argumente, vir en teen die insluiting van blanke vroue in Regstellende
Aksie, word bestudeer om die tweede probleem aan te spreek. Twee gevalle studies
word ook ingesluit wat die ervarings van swart vroue en blanke vroue in die
indiensneming-sektor onder Regstellende Aksie identifiseer. Wanneer dit afgehandel
is, beweeg die tesis na 'n kwantitatiewe metode van meting deur die resultate van die
Markinor M-Bus meningsopname, wat in 2004 plaasgevind het, om die algemene
Suid-Afrikaanse publiek se opinies met betrekking tot die insluiting van blanke vroue
in Regstellende Aksie te peil. Die resultate van die M-Bus meningsopname word ook gebruik om die hipoteses wat
deur hierdie tesis aangebied word te toets. Hierdie hipoteses mik daarna om uit te
vind of demografiese veranderlikes Suid-Afrikaners se menings oor die insluiting van
blanke vroue in Regstellende Aksie beïnvloed. Ses demografiese veranderlikes word
bestudeer, naamlik ras, geslag, ondersteuning van 'n politieke party, opvoeding,
inkomste en ouderdom.
Daar word duidelik bevind dat Regstellende Aksie en Swart Ekonomiese Bemagtiging
nie met mekaar korrespondeer ten opsigte van die insluiting van blanke vrouens in
Regstellende Aksie nie. Terwyl hierdie tesis die spanning tussen akademici wat die
insluiting van blanke vroue steun en die wat daarteen gekant is erken, stel dit voor dat
dit moeilik is om vas te stel watter groep reg is, veral wanneer daar gepoog word om
'n objektiewe beskouing te handhaaf. Namate die resultate van die M-Bus
meningsopname bestudeer is, vind hierdie tesis dat die algemene Suid-Afrikaanse
publiek gekant is teen die insluiting van blanke vroue in Regstellende Aksie.
Nadat die hipoteses getoets is, vind hierdie tesis dat ouderdom en geslag nie Suid-
Afrikaners se menings oor die insluiting van blanke vroue in Regstellende Aksie
beïnvloed nie. Geslag en ouderdom speel daarom nie die rol van onafhanklike
veranderlikes nie. Opvoeding, inkomste, ondersteuning van 'n politieke party en ras
speel wel die rol van onafhanklike veranderlikes. Hierdie tesis voer aan dat hierdie
vier demografiese veranderlikes almal komponente vorm van a groter, saamgestelde
onafhanklike veranderlike. Verder word daar aangevoer dat sommige van hierdie
demografiese veranderlikes 'n belangriker rol as ander mag speel. Ras word
voorgestel as die mees belangrike onafhanklike veranderlike binne hierdie
saamgestelde veranderlike, wat inkomste, ondersteuning van politieke party en
opvoeding beïnvloed. Dit blyk ook dat geslag en ouderdom beïnvloed word. Daar
word ook aangevoer dat opvoeding moontlik 'n belangriker onafhanklike veranderlike
is as inkomste en ondersteuning van 'n politieke party.
Die tesis word afgesluit met die argument dat opvoeding in die toekoms ras as die
mees belangrike onafhanklike veranderlike kan vervang betreffende die invloed op
menings van Suid-Afrikaners ten opsigte van die insluiting van blanke vroue in
Regstellende Aksie. Dit sal 'n positiewe invloed hê in die sin dat dit die rasseverdeeldheid wat steeds in Suid-Afrika heers kan verminder. Verder kom hierdie
tesis tot die gevolgtrekking dat die teenstrydighede wat tussen Regstellende Aksie en
Swart Ekonomiese Bemagtinging bestaan sowel as die polarisasie onder Suid-
Afrikaners se menings ten opsigte van die insluiting van blanke vroue in Regstellende
Aksie, 'n negatiewe uitwerking op demokratiese konsolidasie het.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/50229 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Venter, Trace Joan |
| Contributors | Du Toit, P. V. D. P., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Political Science. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 91 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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