John Maytham interviews Frederich Kirsten, an economics lecturer at the University of Johannesburg.
A trending Business Insider article (“What’s your class? South Africans let race get in the way of the truth, study says“) is receiving heated, mixed responses.
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For the study quoted in the article, the objective definition of “class” was in relation to employment.
Subjective class on the other hand was determined by a step ladder – step one of the ladder being the lowest position in society and step 10 being the highest.
Participants would then place themselves on the step that they found applicable to them.
Every person will have their own definition of what is 10 and what is one and where they place themselves.
Frederich Kirsten, Economics Lecturer – University of Johannesburg
If you create a reference group that mimics society, then you’ll probably place yourself in the correct position.
Frederich Kirsten, Economics Lecturer – University of Johannesburg
If you create a reference group that is maybe biased towards your own surroundings and the people you interact with on a daily basis, then you might not get a full picture of inequality in South Africa and therefore represent yourself on a step that might not be aligned with your objective [reality].
Frederich Kirsten, Economics Lecturer – University of Johannesburg
The importance of this study was to look at the correlation between how one views themselves, how they view inequality, and how they position themselves in the “unequal system”.
Previous studies have shown that this drives voting behaviour and other political attitudes.
Maytham says that this could be a reason why Black voters are not choosing the Democratic Alliance (DA) – their class identity differs from the class identity of the leadership structure and representation within the DA.
We can see that status itself is still driven by these lingering legacies and that still creates a separation.
Frederich Kirsten, Economics Lecturer – University of Johannesburg
The study found that:
- Coloured, Indian, and White South Africans have a tendency to magnify their social positions beyond what is objectively true
- Black people tend to underestimate their position, possibly because they’re hesitant to identify with the historically White middle class
- The legacy of apartheid still dominates discussions about class and status
There’s very strong literature on how your subjective view of yourself and how you view inequality actually drive these other political attitudes you might hold in society.
Frederich Kirsten, Economics Lecturer – University of Johannesburg
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