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The levels and patterns of racial residential desegregation in Cape Town
The first aim of this study was to assess the levels of desegregation in Cape Town's southern suburbs. The characteristics of desegregated areas in terms of tenure, socio economic status of residents, and type of housing were explored to identify possible patterns of desegregation. Thereafter a qual...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Department of Sociology
2023
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| _version_ | 1867613259409915905 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Le Fleur, Chantel Carmen |
| author_browse | Le Fleur, Chantel Carmen |
| author_facet | Le Fleur, Chantel Carmen |
| author_sort | Le Fleur, Chantel Carmen |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | The first aim of this study was to assess the levels of desegregation in Cape Town's southern suburbs. The characteristics of desegregated areas in terms of tenure, socio economic status of residents, and type of housing were explored to identify possible patterns of desegregation. Thereafter a qualitative examination of the processes and emerging patterns of residential desegregation in a case study approach of three different patterns of desegregation evident in Rondebosch East, Mowbray and Kenilworth was conducted. In-depth interviews were conducted with black households in these areas. The 1996 Census was used to assess the levels of desegregation and explore the characteristics of desegregation emerging in Cape Town. The gradual movement of black households to the former white group areas was1 found as twenty-one of the areas in the Cape Town, Simon's Town and Wynberg magisterial districts were significantly desegregated. Areas in which 15% or more of the households were black were considered desegregated in this study. Desegregation was mainly characterised by Coloured households as opposed to African or Indian households moving to former White areas. This is in part as a result of their higher socio economic status compared to African households. The lower and middle class suburbs were more likely to be desegregated than the more affluent upper class areas. One of the main ways in which black households are moving to formerly white areas was by renting property rather home ownership. In addition, in many desegregated areas, black households were renting flats, which was the most affordable option. The second aim of this study was to identify patterns of desegregation in Cape Towns' southern suburbs. Three patterns of racial residential desegregation were identified. The first pattern was associated with middle class homeownership, while the other two patterns were associated with rental flat accommodation. These three patterns and the dynamics involved were explored in a case study of three areas in Cape Town, namely Mowbray, Rondebosch East and Kenilworth. The first pattern was characterised by young black middle class families purchasing houses in Rondebosch East. The second pattern in Mowbray was characterised by students and African foreigners seeking cheap rental accommodation. A complex interplay of factors including a decline in property prices, unscrupulous landlords who charged high rentals, resulted in some black households overcrowding apartments, to be able to afford the rents and slum-like characteristics due to a lack of maintenance on the part of landlords. The third pattern identified "respectable rental accommodation" contrasted with the findings in Mowbray with young black middle class households renting flats in the area in the absence of decline or overcrowding. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/38302 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:33:17.409Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| publishDateRange | 2023 |
| publishDateSort | 2023 |
| publisher | Department of Sociology |
| publisherStr | Department of Sociology |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/38302 The levels and patterns of racial residential desegregation in Cape Town Le Fleur, Chantel Carmen sociology The first aim of this study was to assess the levels of desegregation in Cape Town's southern suburbs. The characteristics of desegregated areas in terms of tenure, socio economic status of residents, and type of housing were explored to identify possible patterns of desegregation. Thereafter a qualitative examination of the processes and emerging patterns of residential desegregation in a case study approach of three different patterns of desegregation evident in Rondebosch East, Mowbray and Kenilworth was conducted. In-depth interviews were conducted with black households in these areas. The 1996 Census was used to assess the levels of desegregation and explore the characteristics of desegregation emerging in Cape Town. The gradual movement of black households to the former white group areas was1 found as twenty-one of the areas in the Cape Town, Simon's Town and Wynberg magisterial districts were significantly desegregated. Areas in which 15% or more of the households were black were considered desegregated in this study. Desegregation was mainly characterised by Coloured households as opposed to African or Indian households moving to former White areas. This is in part as a result of their higher socio economic status compared to African households. The lower and middle class suburbs were more likely to be desegregated than the more affluent upper class areas. One of the main ways in which black households are moving to formerly white areas was by renting property rather home ownership. In addition, in many desegregated areas, black households were renting flats, which was the most affordable option. The second aim of this study was to identify patterns of desegregation in Cape Towns' southern suburbs. Three patterns of racial residential desegregation were identified. The first pattern was associated with middle class homeownership, while the other two patterns were associated with rental flat accommodation. These three patterns and the dynamics involved were explored in a case study of three areas in Cape Town, namely Mowbray, Rondebosch East and Kenilworth. The first pattern was characterised by young black middle class families purchasing houses in Rondebosch East. The second pattern in Mowbray was characterised by students and African foreigners seeking cheap rental accommodation. A complex interplay of factors including a decline in property prices, unscrupulous landlords who charged high rentals, resulted in some black households overcrowding apartments, to be able to afford the rents and slum-like characteristics due to a lack of maintenance on the part of landlords. The third pattern identified "respectable rental accommodation" contrasted with the findings in Mowbray with young black middle class households renting flats in the area in the absence of decline or overcrowding. 2023-08-28T11:02:02Z 2023-08-28T11:02:02Z 2005 2023-08-28T11:01:35Z Master Thesis Masters MSocSc http://hdl.handle.net/11427/38302 eng application/pdf Department of Sociology Faculty of Humanities |
| spellingShingle | sociology Le Fleur, Chantel Carmen The levels and patterns of racial residential desegregation in Cape Town |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | The levels and patterns of racial residential desegregation in Cape Town |
| title_full | The levels and patterns of racial residential desegregation in Cape Town |
| title_fullStr | The levels and patterns of racial residential desegregation in Cape Town |
| title_full_unstemmed | The levels and patterns of racial residential desegregation in Cape Town |
| title_short | The levels and patterns of racial residential desegregation in Cape Town |
| title_sort | levels and patterns of racial residential desegregation in cape town |
| topic | sociology |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/38302 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lefleurchantelcarmen thelevelsandpatternsofracialresidentialdesegregationincapetown AT lefleurchantelcarmen levelsandpatternsofracialresidentialdesegregationincapetown |