SOCIAL MOBILITY
Reconciliation survey focus on inequalities
The realities of socioeconomic inequalities in SA extend well beyond mere differences in income distribution, writes Elnari Potgieter
Frustrations resulting from vast socioeconomic inequalities in SA found an outlet in national student protests for free tertiary education during 2015 and 2016. Under the #FeesMustFall banner, multiple layers of advantage and disadvantage, of access and nonaccess, of inclusion and exclusion (among and between various groups) became apparent, making evident the need for a much deeper and more nuanced understanding of individuals’ and various groups’ lived experiences of socioeconomic inequalities. SA is often cited as one of the world’s most unequal countries, in particular with reference to its high Gini coefficient (the measure most often used to measure income inequalities). The realities of socioeconomic inequalities in SA, however, extend well beyond mere differences in income distribution. Various social, political, historical and economic factors contribute to a complex environment in which both unequal outcomes and unequal opportunities are evident. In understanding the multi...
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