Public opinion on land reform in South Africa

Thesis (MA (Political Science))--Stellenbosch University, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study explores public opinion on land reform in South Africa using data gathered
by Ipsos-Markinor in nationally representative public opinion surveys conducted in
2004 and 2007, and by an elite survey conducted by Centre for International and
Comparative Politics in 2007.
This study explores whether public opinion on land reform reveals distinct trends that
correlate with the selected socio-demographic variables of race, language, party
affiliation and social status. It is hypothesised that there is an identifiable correlation
between these independent variables and the opinions of respondents on land reform,
with specific groups tending to support land reform whilst other groups tend to reject
it.
The data analyses yielded results that highlight distinct trends in public opinion on
land reform. Responses are clustered around specific characteristics of the
independent variables and point towards distinct groups having specific views on land
reform.
From this set of findings it is inferred that public opinion on land reform illustrates
that certain groups of South Africans have contrasting views of how the rule of law
and transformation should find expression in a democratic society. These
fundamentally differing opinions on key elements of democracy illustrate that South
Africans hold diverging opinions of what constitutes democracy, through adherence
to either the liberal or the liberationist model of democracy. These models were
previously identified as two distinct and diverging interpretations of democracy in
South Africa and were labelled as such. These two models uphold sharply divergent
normative prescriptions of democracy, as well as contrasting prescriptions for various
policies of democratic consolidation, including that of land reform. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Openbare mening oor grondhervorming in Suid-Afrika word in hierdie studie
ondersoek. Die ondersoek maak gebruik van data ingewin deur Ipsos-Markinor in
nasionaal verteenwoordigende openbare meningsopnames uitgevoer in 2004 en 2007,
asook ‘n elite opname wat in 2007 uitgevoer is deur die Sentrum vir Internationale en
Vergelykende Politiek (CICP).
Hierdie studie ondersoek die moontlikheid dat openbare mening ten opsigte van
grondhervorming met geselekteerde sosio-demografiese veranderlikes (ras, taal,
politieke affiliasie en sosiale status) korreleer. Die hipotese is dat daar ‘n
identifiseerbare korrelasie is tussen hierdie onafhanklike veranderlikes en die menings
van die respondente ten opsigte van grondhervorming en dat daar spesifieke groepe is
wat grondhervorming ondersteun en ander nie.
Analise van die data toon duidelike tendense in openbare mening oor die kwessie van
grondhervorming. Menings korreleer wel met die onafhanklike veranderlikes en wys
daarop dat bepaalde sosiale groepe uiteenlopende standpunte het oor
grondhervorming.
Uit hierdie stel bevindinge maak die navorser die afleiding dat daar, binne die Suid-
Afrikaanse bevolking, groepe is met uiteenlopende menings oor hoe die oppergesag
van die reg en transformasie binne ‘n demokrasie uitgeleef moet word. Hierdie
fundamenteel kontrasterende menings ten opsigte van hierdie sleutelelemente van
demokrasie, illustreer dat Suid-Afrikaners uiteenlopende menings oor demokrasie het
in die vorm van ondersteuning van hetsy die liberale- of bevrydingsmodelle van
demokrasie. Hierdie modelle is as twee duidelike en afsonderlike interpretasies van
demokrasie voorgestel en beskryf. Hierdie twee modelle verteenwoordig skerp
uiteenlopende normatiewe beskouinge oor demokrasie, en bied daarmee saam,
botsende beleidsvoorskrifte aan vir demokratiese konsolidering, insluitende beleid oor
grondhervorming.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/4377
Date03 1900
CreatorsSwart, Charl
ContributorsDu Toit, P. V. D. P., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Political Science.
PublisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageUnknown
TypeThesis
Formatxii, 192 p. : ill.
RightsStellenbosch University

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