Residential differentiation and Bourdieu's concept of social space

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Residential differentiation andBourdieu's
concept of social space

• Christoph Haferburg

University of the Witwatersrand, 01.03.07
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• Introduction
• Research Context
• Postapartheid cities some of the challenges
• Background and conceptual framework
• Conventional theories of segregation
• Bourdieus concept of social space and its
  application
• A sample survey of residential areas
• The Wetton-Lansdowne-Corridor
• Conclusions
• Change or continuity?

• Microapartheid
• Mesoapartheid
• Macroapartheid
• -gt transformation of the spatial structures is a
  central task of the post-apartheid era

Introduction Postapartheid City Concepts of
socio-spatial difference Wetton-Lansdowne-Corrid
or Conclusions
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Integrated Development Disadvantaged
Communities Low Density Suburban Housing Likely
Direction of Urban Sprawl Existing Urban
Nodes Sample Areas
(Modified after Cape Metropolitan Council 1996)
Area characteristics and dynamics of development
in Cape Town
Introduction Postapartheid City Concepts of
socio-spatial difference Wetton-Lansdowne-Corrid
or Conclusions
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Conceptual Background 1

• Change or Continuity how to capture?
• Conventional approach to segregation
• urban social arangements based on groups which
  are assumed to exist a priori
• groups are mostly perceived to be formed on the
  basis of a single dimension of identity
• spatial patterns interpreted as result of
  individual choice according to group identity
• question of scale is often neglected
• Reification of existing social faultlines as a
  consequence (cf. Saunders 1987)

Introduction Postapartheid City Concepts of
socio-spatial difference Wetton-Lansdowne-Corrid
or Conclusions
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C. Haferburg/C. Parnreiter

• Empirical findings in
• Cape Town
• Reasons for move
• to place of residence

Social networks play an important role to find a
place perception of the housing market is very
selective.
(own survey 2000)
Reasons for move by period and area
Racial or group based preferences are hardly
mentioned but social status is prominent
Motivations for planned moves compared to dreams
of moving
(own survey 2000)
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Conceptual Background 2

• Alternative approach following Bourdieu
• urban social arrangements reflect the structure
  of the society in which they are embedded (and
  vice versa)
• Formation of groups as a result of similar volume
  and structure of various types of capital
• ? in a postcolonial context (as in South
  Africa) Bourdieus typology of capital has to be
  expanded
• ? ascriptive capital as an additional category
  of social status

Introduction Postapartheid City Concepts of
socio-spatial difference Wetton-Lansdowne-Corrid
or Conclusions
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Bourdieu 199819
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Conceptual Background 3

• Research objective
• To assess and to understand current and future
  processes of residential differentiation / of
  socio-spatial patterns
• Methodological consequences
• 1. Select areas that are relevant for
  intervention through planning.
• 2. Include a maximum variety of residential
  areas.
• 3. Capture all dimensions of capital.
• Data base
• Statssa data - own survey
• official planning documents - interviews with
  key persons

Introduction Postapartheid City Concepts of
socio-spatial difference Wetton-Lansdowne-Corrid
or Conclusions
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Integrated Development Disadvantaged
Communities Low Density Suburban Housing Likely
Direction of Urban Sprawl Existing Urban
Nodes Sample Areas
(Modified after Cape Metropolitan Council 1996)
Cape Town
Introduction Postapartheid City Concepts of
socio-spatial difference Wetton-Lansdowne-Corrid
or Conclusions
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Integrated Development Disadvantaged
Communities Low Density Suburban Housing Likely
Direction of Urban Sprawl Existing Urban
Nodes Sample Areas
(Modified after Cape Metropolitan Council 1996)
Cape Town proposed Philippi Node
Introduction Postapartheid City Concepts of
socio-spatial difference Wetton-Lansdowne-Corrid
or Conclusions
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Integrated Development Disadvantaged
Communities Low Density Suburban Housing Likely
Direction of Urban Sprawl Existing Urban
Nodes Sample Areas
(Modified after Cape Metropolitan Council 1996)
Cape Town sample areas in the Wetton-Lansdowne-Co
rridor
Introduction Postapartheid City Concepts of
socio-spatial difference Wetton-Lansdowne-Corrid
or Conclusions
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Wetton-Lansdowne-Corridor

• The corridor is a relevant sector of Cape
  Towns urban structure
• it was a central screen onto which the idea of
  integration through spatial planning could be
  projected
• The sample areas represent a crosssection through
  the various types of neighbourhoods.

Spatial relation of the sample areas whithin the
Wetton-Lansdowne-Corridor (Chr. Haferburg,
Cartography C.Flöel)
Introduction Postapartheid City Concepts of
socio-spatial difference Wetton-Lansdowne-Corrid
or Conclusions
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Kenilworth semi-detached houses (ca. 1920s) -
Apartments (ca. 1960s), former White Group
Area
Introduction Postapartheid City Concepts of
socio-spatial difference Wetton-Lansdowne-Corrid
or Conclusions
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Blocks of flats in Manenberg (1960s), former
Coloured Group Area
Introduction Postapartheid City Concepts of
socio-spatial difference Wetton-Lansdowne-Corrid
or Conclusions
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Single houses in Sherwood Park (1970s) , former
Coloured Group Area
Introduction Postapartheid City Concepts of
socio-spatial difference Wetton-Lansdowne-Corrid
or Conclusions
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Township houses in Guguletu (late 1950s),
former Black/African Group Area
Introduction Postapartheid City Concepts of
socio-spatial difference Wetton-Lansdowne-Corrid
or Conclusions
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2 storey double house in Hanover Park
(1999/2000), new housing scheme in former
Coloured Group Area
Introduction Postapartheid City Concepts of
socio-spatial difference Wetton-Lansdowne-Corrid
or Conclusions
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Shacks in Phola Park (from 1989/90), Self-help
informal housing in former Black/African Group
Area
Interview in Phola Park In a sample of 309
households data on the various types of capital
has been collected.
Introduction Postapartheid City Concepts of
socio-spatial difference Wetton-Lansdowne-Corrid
or Conclusions
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Economic Capital 1996 / 2000 household income by
area
Kenilw. Hanover Sherwd. Pk.
Manenbg. Guguletu Phola Pk.

Pk. 2000
(Statssa Census 1996 and own survey 2000)
Introduction Postapartheid City Concepts of
socio-spatial difference Wetton-Lansdowne-Corrid
or Conclusions
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Cultural Capital 1996 / 2000 education levels by
area
Kenilw. Hanover Sherwd. Pk.
Manenbg. Guguletu Phola Pk.

Pk. 2000
(Statssa Census 1996 and own survey 2000)
Introduction Postapartheid City Concepts of
socio-spatial difference Wetton-Lansdowne-Corrid
or Conclusions
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Ascriptive Capital 1996 / 2000 population groups
by area
Kenilworth Sherwd. Pk. Manenbg.
Guguletu Phola Pk.
(Statssa Census 1996 and own survey 2000)
Introduction Postapartheid City Concepts of
socio-spatial difference Wetton-Lansdowne-Corrid
or Conclusions
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Occupations in 2000 by area
Kenilworth Hanover Pk. Manenbg. Sherwd.
Pk. Guguletu Phola Pk.
Occupations with a high status
(own survey 2000)
Introduction Postapartheid City Concepts of
socio-spatial difference Wetton-Lansdowne-Corrid
or Conclusions
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Summary of the socio-economic transsect

• Whithin the areas we find
• Growth in the higher income brackets (Phola Park
  is an exception), but income heterogenity is also
  growing.
• A relatively wide range of education levels
  exists, with an increase of the level of average
  education (Manenberg is an exception)
• Only in Kenilworth a quantifiable heterogenity of
  the population groups is manifest and here its
  still growing.
• A comparison between the areas shows
• A high level of education does not correlate
  allways with a high income ? Guguletu, Sherwood
  Park, also Phola Park
• A comparison of the occupations shows a similar
  representation of the middle class in Guguletu
  und Sherwood Park.

Introduction Postapartheid City Concepts of
socio-spatial difference Wetton-Lansdowne-Corrid
or Conclusions
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Socio-spatial differenceStatus of neighbourhood
and career perspectives

• Till 2000, the structure and quantity of the
  types of capital have remained rather unchanged
  in the non-white areas of the sample
• gt but formerly white Kenilworth experiences an
  increasing heterogenity in income and education
  levels a benefit of its location and built
  environment?
• Education levels are quite heterogenous in
  general
• gt the big exception being Manenberg (working
  class)
• In terms of Ascriptive Capital the inner
  structure of the
• non-white areas remains very homogenous
• gt no desegregation in the Cape Flats
• The career perspectives of the residents in
  Kenilworth are the highest, in Manenberg and
  Phola Park the lowest

Introduction Postapartheid City Concepts of
socio-spatial difference Wetton-Lansdowne-Corrid
or Conclusions
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Change and Continuity 1

• Urban policy and spatial planning have not yet
  come up (until the study was written in 2005)
  with a coherent coping strategy to deal with the
  inherited fragmentation
• The experiences of daily life in the Cape Flats
  have not changed a lot since the end of apartheid
• -gt especially with regard to the reprodution of
  group identities
• -gt continuity rules
• But the (ascribed) belonging to one of the
  previously disadvanted population groups does no
  longer represent an impermeable constraint to a
  rise in the societal hierarchy
• -gt if the total quantity of capital is relatively
  high (income, education), individual
  opportunities can be translated in social success
• -gt a manifestation of this change is the
  transformation of Kenilworth

Introduction Postapartheid City Concepts of
socio-spatial difference Wetton-Lansdowne-Corrid
or Conclusions
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Change and Continuity 2

• Against the given background a further blurring
  of the borders of the old group areas can be
  predicted, but this will be limited to specific
  areas
• -gt change will mainly take place in quarters with
  locational advantage as well as in newly
  developed areas
• Ecnomic fragmentation remains untouched
• -gt its explosive power lies in the fact, that it
  rather increases
• -gt continuity of a socio-economic polarisation

Introduction Postapartheid City Concepts of
socio-spatial difference Wetton-Lansdowne-Corrid
or Conclusions
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Change and Continuity 3

• Bourdieus concept enables us to include various
  dimensions of capital in the analysis of the
  communities living in different neighbourhoods
  the findings of this perspective are much more
  differentiated than those conventional approaches
  on segregation have to offer.
• This approach also allows a differentiated
  comparison of various neighbourhoods (based on
  socio-economic data including preferecences on
  where to stay).
• Vice versa the neihgbourhood status is an
  indicator to predict life chances and career
  perspectives for children who live here.
• Whithout a truly integrative urban policy there
  will be no genuine postcolonial society.

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Introduction Postapartheid City Concepts of
socio-spatial difference Wetton-Lansdowne-Corrid
or Conclusions