Characterisation, definition, and measurement issues of the middle class in sub-Saharan Africa

Bhorat, Haroon; Kimani, Mumbi E.; Lappeman, James; Egan, Paul

doi:10.1080/0376835x.2021.1945912

Cited by 8 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…While another chapter welcomes the trend, it points to the inherent flaw in the praise:Afrobarometer has provided survey evidence that many Africans continue to experience their lives as impoverished, despite high levels of recorded economic growth in their countries. Macroeconomic data, which show robust rates of growth at the national level, must be considered in conjunction with data from household income surveys that show continuing poverty and a lack of improvement in the economic conditions of poorer families (Lofchie, 2015: 53).According to an overview based on data for the years 2005–2010 and the different monetary income/expenditure thresholds applied, the African ‘middle class’ ranged from 20 million to over 32 million to 197 million and 350 million to 425 million: the ‘middle class estimate can therefore be summed as a moving average’ (Bhorat et al, 2021: 8). A comparative perspective, measuring and contrasting income and ownership of assets as categories, points out that ‘measuring the middle class solely by income does not sufficiently capture the reality’ (Nemeckova et al, 2020: 22).…”

Section: Economistic Reductionism Of African Middle Classmentioning

confidence: 99%

Africa's Middle Classes

Melber

2022

Africa Spectrum

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Since the early 21st century, the middle classes of the Global South became a focus of attention. However, a precarious minimum income was all it took to be considered middle class. But who exactly is middle class? As the term is applied, it should certainly not be confused with Marxist theories of class. It refers to a socio-economic status somewhere between the highest and lowest echelons of society. What constitutes middle class remains all too nebulous. This article casts doubt on the positive political and economic impact and role ascribed to the declared growth of African middle classes. It argues that middle classness is a construct, which stresses the continued vagueness and fragility of this social segment in societies and cautions of too optimistic assessments when it comes to its role.

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Section: Economistic Reductionism Of African Middle Classmentioning

confidence: 99%

Africa's Middle Classes

Melber

2022

Africa Spectrum

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“…Reflections on the effects of these sudden changes must include discussion of the extreme nature of the sudden disruptions, the implications for access and success and whether issues of inclusion and injustice were further exacerbated. Just as the pandemic resulted in unforeseen aftershocks in society, so too there were ramifications for higher education; job losses and economic insecurity were a direct consequence, in a country already ravaged by inequality and economic stagnation (Bhorat et al 2021). These conditions coalesced with a higher education landscape where student success and throughput continue to be skewed by socio-economic status (Van Zyl 2016).…”

Section: The Pandemic Ert and Inequitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Pandemic disruptions to access to higher education in South Africa: A dream deferred?

Menon

Motala

2022

SAJHE

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The COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to emergency remote teaching (ERT) and online learning highlighted issues of social justice, pedagogical inclusion and epistemic access in higher education. The research underlying this article analyses the complexities of access to learning and the effects of the shift to ERT and online learning on the social justice agenda in South Africa, using the case study of the University of Johannesburg. The article uses the conceptual frameworks of epistemic access, equity and inclusive pedagogy from the theories of Fraser (2008), Mbembe (2016) and Mgqwashu (2016). Pedagogic continuity and inclusion (Motala and Menon 2020; Menon and Motala 2021), hard-won by many institutions during the pandemic, will need to be sustained and secured as the world adapts to a “new normal” in higher education and other spheres of life. Czerniewicz et al. (2020, 957) refer to the maxim “Anytime, anyplace, anywhere” characterising ERT as a “brutal underestimation of the complexities and entanglement of different inequalities and structural arrangements”. Fataar (2020), Czerniewicz et al. (2020) and Hodges et al. (2020) advocate an alternative pedagogy that is “trauma-informed” and offers parity with the pedagogies that prevailed pre-pandemic. The article concludes that the pre-existing conditions of deep inequality and inequities, and a highly differentiated higher education system with uneven pedagogical practices, were exacerbated by the pandemic. While we acknowledge the achievement of avoiding the loss of the academic year during the pandemic, we argue that it is important to learn lessons from the initial implementation of ERT and the fractures that it highlights in higher education. Heading into an uncertain future, the sector needs explicit equity-driven approaches to ensure pedagogical inclusion beyond physical and epistemic access.

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Does nationality and gender of the board members influence corporate governance compliance? Evidence from selected Sub-Saharan Africa countries

Munisi

2023

SN Bus Econ

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Characterisation, definition, and measurement issues of the middle class in sub-Saharan Africa

Cited by 8 publications

References 18 publications

Africa's Middle Classes

Africa's Middle Classes

Pandemic disruptions to access to higher education in South Africa: A dream deferred?

Does nationality and gender of the board members influence corporate governance compliance? Evidence from selected Sub-Saharan Africa countries

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