Class experiences among students from the SADC region studying in South Africa
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Birmingham
Department Name: History and Cultures
Abstract
This PhD will examine class perceptions of students from the SADC region studying in South Africa. The focus will be on Rhodes University, which has the highest proportion (~20%) of SADC students in any South African university. The overall aim is to increase understanding of contemporary African middle classes and intra-regional migration. Since the end of Apartheid, South Africa has become a leading study destination for SADC students. In addition to this internationalisation, South African universities have been undergoing a process of 'decolonisation', resulting for example in demands for better affordability. The South African government's recent plans to raise university fees have triggered nationwide student protests as the cost of higher education is leaving many middle class families in debt and disappointed in the persistent inequality. Hence both race and class are central in the current situation in South African universities and wider society. In the prevailing crisis in South Africa, international students have been largely ignored, although they have invested heavily in their education. Therefore this thesis meets the need to explore the relationship of non-South African students with the ongoing developments. Research questions: 1. How do the SADC students understand themselves in class terms? 2. How do they experience and practice class? 3. How are class identities reshaped during the students' time at Rhodes? 4. What has been the role of SADC students in the protests at Rhodes? How does their participation or non-participation relate to their hopes and fears for the future? The methodological model of this qualitative thesis relies on ethnography. The data will be collected through three two-month fieldwork periods at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa, using participant observation, questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with students. Discourse and document analysis will be used to analyse the findings.
Organisations
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ES/J50001X/1 | 01/10/2011 | 02/04/2022 | |||
| 1770684 | Studentship | ES/J50001X/1 | 01/10/2016 | 10/02/2023 | Veera Tagliabue |
| ES/P000711/1 | 01/10/2017 | 30/09/2027 | |||
| 1770684 | Studentship | ES/P000711/1 | 01/10/2016 | 10/02/2023 | Veera Tagliabue |
| Description | This research argues that SADC students' transnational identities are a source of both privilege and precarity in the South/southern African contexts of race and class. Renegotiations of class between home and South Africa complicate SADC students' identities and leave them feeling never fully 'at home' in either place, constantly looking for a better future elsewhere. This research makes a significant contribution to the understanding of the pivotal topics of identity, aspiration, and belonging in contemporary South Africa and beyond and offers a fresh lens on social class through the dynamic and fragmentary processes of privilege and precarity. |
| Exploitation Route | This research can support future research on international students' experiences of social class in South Africa and beyond. The findings of this research can also be taken forward in wider research on the intersections of migration, higher education and social class. Finally, the knowledge created by this research can benefit the work of International Offices at Rhodes University and at other educational institutions. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Education |