Privileged Precariat


Book Description

A rethinking of South Africa's recent past, this book presents unique historical evidence of white working-class responses to the dismantling of apartheid and establishment of majority rule in South Africa, from the 1970s to present, placing this in the context of global debates on neoliberalism and identity politics.




A History of African Popular Culture


Book Description

A journey through the history of African popular culture from the seventeenth century to the present day.




Studies in the Economic History of Southern Africa


Book Description

First Published in 1990. Volume Two of Studies of Economic History of South Africa, looks at the Lesotho and Swaziland regions. The unfolding history and historiography of Southern Africa pose profound challenges for both analysis and praxis in the last decade of the twentieth century. These challenges are reflected in the range of investigations and contradictions, some of which are treated here, which together constitute an intellectual and political conjuncture. This collection of studies deals with the countries which were not included in the companion book on the economic history of the Front- Line States. Most of the space in the present volume is devoted to South Africa, primarily because of its importance to the region but also because contributions to the economic history of that country in English are very extensive as compared to the other states of Southern Africa.




Apartheid


Book Description

A history of apartheid traces the institution back to its roots in the 17th century, and shows how it developed along with Afrikaner nationalism, as well as the response from the Americans.




The Origins and Demise of South African Apartheid


Book Description

What motivated South Africa's former white leaders to hand over the reins of power to a black government? Economist Anton D. Lowenberg examines the economic interests that led to apartheid and the economic prospects for post-apartheid South African society.




Studies in the Economic History of Southern Africa


Book Description

First Published in 1990. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.




General Labour History of Africa


Book Description

The first comprehensive and authoritative history of work and labour in Africa; a key text for all working on African Studies and Labour History worldwide.




The Political Economy Of South Africa


Book Description

Democratization in South Africa has been accompanied by continuing and even deepening economic inequalities. Rather than proposing a blueprint for a more equable economic system, this book presents the results and implications of wide-ranging research on the history and current dynamics of the South African economy over the past fifty years. The authors analyze a range of strategic economic trajectories, linking these to the shifting balance of economic and political power, and they set the parameters within which the economic and political debates are conducted. }The acclaim with which democratization in South Africa has been greeted has been tempered by the recognition that there are at the same time continuing and even deepening economic inequalities. This is more disturbing given the extreme economic disparity experienced by much of the black population, the retreat from commitments to public ownership enshrined in the Freedom Charter, the unambiguous safeguarding of private capital, and the obstacles placed in the way of progressive economic policies by business interests and the entrenched apartheid-era bureaucracy. Rather than proposing a blueprint for a more equable economic system, this book presents the results and implications of detailed and wide-ranging research on both the history and current dynamics of the South African economy, from the Second World War to the present. The authors analyze a range of strategic economic trajectories, linking these to the shifting balance of economic and political power in South Africa. But their approach is not prescriptive; instead they set the parameters within which the economic and political debates are conducted. They also discuss the theoretical arguments involved in the propositions that they and others have put forward. The books value is enhanced by the comprehensiveness of the data presented, and each chapter is self-contained so that particular topics can be studied separately.




Capitalism and Slavery


Book Description

Slavery helped finance the Industrial Revolution in England. Plantation owners, shipbuilders, and merchants connected with the slave trade accumulated vast fortunes that established banks and heavy industry in Europe and expanded the reach of capitalism worldwide. Eric Williams advanced these powerful ideas in Capitalism and Slavery, published in 1944. Years ahead of its time, his profound critique became the foundation for studies of imperialism and economic development. Binding an economic view of history with strong moral argument, Williams's study of the role of slavery in financing the Industrial Revolution refuted traditional ideas of economic and moral progress and firmly established the centrality of the African slave trade in European economic development. He also showed that mature industrial capitalism in turn helped destroy the slave system. Establishing the exploitation of commercial capitalism and its link to racial attitudes, Williams employed a historicist vision that set the tone for future studies. In a new introduction, Colin Palmer assesses the lasting impact of Williams's groundbreaking work and analyzes the heated scholarly debates it generated when it first appeared.