Poverty Knowledge in South Africa

A Social History of Human Science, 1855–2005

Nonfiction, History, Africa, Science & Nature, Science
Cover of the book Poverty Knowledge in South Africa by Grace Davie, Cambridge University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Grace Davie ISBN: 9781316188521
Publisher: Cambridge University Press Publication: February 5, 2015
Imprint: Cambridge University Press Language: English
Author: Grace Davie
ISBN: 9781316188521
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Publication: February 5, 2015
Imprint: Cambridge University Press
Language: English

Poverty is South Africa's greatest challenge. But what is 'poverty'? How can it be measured? And how can it be reduced if not eliminated? In South Africa, human science knowledge about the cost of living grew out of colonialism, industrialization, apartheid and civil resistance campaigns, which makes this knowledge far from neutral or apolitical. South Africans have used the Poverty Datum Line (PDL), Gini coefficients and other poverty thresholds to petition the state, to chip away at the pillars of white supremacy, and, more recently, to criticize the postapartheid government's failures to deliver on some of its promises. Rather than promoting one particular policy solution, this book argues that poverty knowledge teaches us about the dynamics of historical change, the power of racism in white settler societies, and the role of grassroots protest movements in shaping state policies and scientific categories. Readers will gain new perspectives on today's debates about social welfare, redistribution and human rights, and will ultimately find reasons to rethink conventional approaches to advocacy.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Poverty is South Africa's greatest challenge. But what is 'poverty'? How can it be measured? And how can it be reduced if not eliminated? In South Africa, human science knowledge about the cost of living grew out of colonialism, industrialization, apartheid and civil resistance campaigns, which makes this knowledge far from neutral or apolitical. South Africans have used the Poverty Datum Line (PDL), Gini coefficients and other poverty thresholds to petition the state, to chip away at the pillars of white supremacy, and, more recently, to criticize the postapartheid government's failures to deliver on some of its promises. Rather than promoting one particular policy solution, this book argues that poverty knowledge teaches us about the dynamics of historical change, the power of racism in white settler societies, and the role of grassroots protest movements in shaping state policies and scientific categories. Readers will gain new perspectives on today's debates about social welfare, redistribution and human rights, and will ultimately find reasons to rethink conventional approaches to advocacy.

More books from Cambridge University Press

Cover of the book Genetically Modified Organisms in Developing Countries by Grace Davie
Cover of the book GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and BeiDou for Mobile Devices by Grace Davie
Cover of the book Abortion Care by Grace Davie
Cover of the book A Parent-Partner Status for American Family Law by Grace Davie
Cover of the book The East German Economy, 1945–2010 by Grace Davie
Cover of the book Twenty-First Century American Playwrights by Grace Davie
Cover of the book Maxwell's Enduring Legacy by Grace Davie
Cover of the book Shakespeare's Workplace by Grace Davie
Cover of the book Collecting, Managing, and Assessing Data Using Sample Surveys by Grace Davie
Cover of the book The Cambridge Companion to Nineteenth-Century American Poetry by Grace Davie
Cover of the book Collective Killings in Rural China during the Cultural Revolution by Grace Davie
Cover of the book Gauge/String Duality, Hot QCD and Heavy Ion Collisions by Grace Davie
Cover of the book Carl Goerdeler and the Jewish Question, 1933–1942 by Grace Davie
Cover of the book Colonial Captivity during the First World War by Grace Davie
Cover of the book The Captive's Quest for Freedom by Grace Davie
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy