The relationship between Spatial Inequality and Attitudes to Inequality in South Africa
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Oxford
Department Name: Social Policy and Intervention
Abstract
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Organisations
Publications
Magidmisha, H.H.
(2012)
Are you being served: Perceptions of service delivery
McLennan D
(2015)
Developing a spatial measure of exposure to socio-economic inequality in South Africa
in South African Geographical Journal
McLennan, D.
(2012)
Policy briefing note: interim review
McLennan, D.J.
(2012)
Policy briefing note: inception
Roberts B
(2013)
Your Place or Mine? Beliefs About Inequality and Redress Preferences in South Africa
in Social Indicators Research
| Description | *** Objective 1: To make an important contribution to the social policy evidence base concerning socio-economic inequality in South Africa. *** Our analyses revealed, for the first time, how people's exposure to socio-economic inequality varies geographically according to where they live and where they carry out their routine daily activities. Variations in exposure to inequality were found both between municipalities and, more importantly, within municipalities. We also found that, in terms of public attitudes, there is a broad consensus across South Africa that income inequality is too high and a broad agreement that the government has a responsibility for pro-poor income redistribution. However, in terms of particular policy options, certain disparities in levels of support were found between different population sub-groups which may have important implications for policy acceptance. When we linked the spatial and attitudinal components of the project, we found statistically significant evidence that exposure to inequality does affect people's attitudes to inequality and support for government redistribution, with these effects typically acting differentially by population subgroup. *** Objective 2: To strengthen research networks between social scientists in South Africa and the UK, through close collaborative working. *** This project was only possible through very close collaborative working between the UK- and SA-based researchers. Our collaboration has fostered new research ideas and, indeed, generated new research funding as detailed in the 'further funding' section. Negotiations are currently underway between members of this research collaboration and funding bodies in South Africa concerning additional potential new programmes of work. We have also strived to develop our collaboration into a broader research network to involve other relevant academic experts from the UK, SA and elsewhere internationally with a view to submitting further funding applications to both northern and southern hemisphere organisations in future months and years. *** Objective 3: To help build capacity in quantitative methods in South Africa. *** All members of the research team, both UK- and SA-based, have gained substantially strengthened quantitative methods skills during this project. The development of quantitative measures of exposure to socio-economic inequality was a new undertaking for the entire team, and indeed one that had not previously been achieved within South Africa. Likewise, the development of multilevel cumulative link ordered logit regression models represented a major advance in quantitative skills, for which we drew heavily upon expert statistical advice and training from the University of Oxford's Department of Statistics. As a by-product of this, we also became skilled in undertaking analyses in the R statistical software package. *** Objective 4: To familiarise UK social scientists with a range of data resources not widely recognised as available for research in South Africa. *** The potential value of the South African Index of Multiple Deprivation (based on national Census data) and the South African Social Attitudes Survey have been highlighted through: peer reviewed academic journal articles; the final project report; three policy update/briefing notes; four dissemination videos; presentations at UK and international seminars, workshops and conferences. We have also raised awareness through personal contacts and our growing research networks, collaborations and funding applications. |
| Exploitation Route | We believe that further academic research is merited to confirm and/or refine certain of the methodological assumptions in our measurement of spatial inequality. Primarily, we believe that qualitative research (which was outside the scope of our ESRC Pathfinder grant) could help to better understand the different ways in which people are exposed to inequality as they go about their daily lives, including through family/friendship networks and through local, national and international media streams. We also believe that the development of new and/or refinement of existing attitudinal questions in SASAS could provide a more nuanced picture of public attitudes to inequality. In a policy context, we believe the findings from our research can help to inform and support efforts to realise the South African government's long-term vision for the country as set out in the 'National Development Plan 2012' and the associated initial implementation plan set out in the 'Medium Term Strategic Framework 2014-2019'. To this effect, our research is already being taken forward and promoted across government departments by the Department for Science and Technology. We also anticipate the findings being taken forward in the political sphere via our briefings for Members of Parliament. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Government, Democracy and Justice |
| URL | http://www.casasp.ox.ac.uk/esrc_inequality.html |
| Description | The findings from this Pathfinder grant have been disseminated widely to policy makers through a combination of seminars, e-lectures (via YouTube) and conventional written outputs. For instance, in September 2013 and March 2015 the Pathfinder grant formed the central component of research seminars convened by the South African Department of Science and Technology in Pretoria and Cape Town, respectively. These events were attended by senior policy makers from across government, particularly those departments that constitute the 'social cluster', as well as members of the National Planning Commission. Attendees of these two events are therefore part of the policy making process that has recently delivered the Vision 2013 National Development Plan, in which tackling inequality (including via income redistribution) has been afforded notably high priority than in the past. Although it is not possible to definitively attribute the increase in policy attention afforded to tackling inequality to this particular Pathfinder grant, we are confident that the findings from the grant and the debates during the dissemination events will have contributed to the overall evidence base upon which the policy decisions were formulated. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2013 |
| Sector | Communities and Social Services/Policy |
| Impact Types | Policy & public services |
| Description | Safe andn Inclusive Cities |
| Amount | £65,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | International Development Research Centre |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | Canada |
| Start | 04/2013 |
| End | 06/2015 |
| Description | Academic seminar at Oxford University |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
| Results and Impact | Approximately 30 staff and postgraduate students from Oxford (plus a few from elsewhere, e.g. Cambridge) attended a seminar, hosted at the Department of Social Policy and Intervention at the University of Oxford, where concepts, methods and emerging findings from this research project were presented and discussed. After the seminar some attendees (both internal and external to Oxford University) expressed an interest in joining our growing research network and brainstorming potential new research themes and projects. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| URL | https://www.spi.ox.ac.uk/events.html |
| Description | Academic seminar hosted by the Human Sciences Research Council |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
| Results and Impact | Approximately 80 academics and other researchers attended this seminar where we presented our work and discussed policy implications and potential new and exciting research opportunities. The seminar was delivered in the HSRC Pretoria conference room and was beamed live and interactively to HSRC Cape Town and HSRC Durban conference rooms. We received a number of follow-up enquiries from attendees for further information about the study and details of how they could, themselves, access our two 'input' datasets: the South African Index of Multiple Deprivation (and the national Census data from on which the Index is based) and the South African Social Attitudes Survey. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| URL | http://www.hsrc.ac.za/en/events/seminars/exploring-the-relationship-between-spatial-inequality-and-a... |
| Description | DST Government Cluster Policy Workshop, Gauteng |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Approximately 120 senior policy makers and analysts from across South African government attended this workshop which was held for the sole purpose of disseminating our research findings and discussing policy implications. * Please note that the web link provided below unfortunately does not include all our presentations from the event and also unfortunately incorrectly references the authorship of some of the presentations that are available via the link. * During the event a number of senior policy makers expressed the view that our results represented important new insights into socio-economic inequality in South Africa and that our project should be regarded as the beginning of a longer-term programme of research, rather than an end in itself. We also received a number of follow-up enquiries from policy makers for further information about the study and for details of how staff in their departments could access our two 'input' datasets: the South African Index of Multiple Deprivation (and the national Census data from on which the Index is based) and the South African Social Attitudes Survey. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| URL | http://www.pan.org.za/node/9389 |
| Description | DST workshop 3rd March 2015 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | This was a large conference/workshop organised by the South African Department of Science and Technology to debate the methods and findings of our Pathfinder research project. The event stimulated debate between academics and policy makers. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | http://www.hsrc.ac.za/en/news/view/spatial-measures |
| Description | Dissemination video: Attitudes to inequality and policy options for redress in South Africa |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Dissemination video presented introduction to and overview of South African Social Attitude Survey, and provided a focused analysis of issues concerning public attitudes towards socio-economic inequality and options for redress Raised awareness of the South African Social Attitudes Survey as a source of valuable research information, and stimulated interest in understanding people's attitudes towards inequality in South Africa. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://www.casasp.ox.ac.uk/esrc_inequality.html |
| Description | Dissemination video: Exploring the relationships between spatial inequality and attitudes to inequality in South Africa |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Dissemination video described the linked individual-area level dataset and the modelling strategy, including the innovative methodological refinements introduced, and presented headline results and conclusions. Stimulated interest in data linkage and multi-level cumulative link ordered logit statistical modelling for the purpose of understanding how area-level factors might influence individual level attitudinal outcomes. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://www.casasp.ox.ac.uk/esrc_inequality.html |
| Description | Dissemination video: Introduction to the project |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Dissemination video presented background to project and introduced the three subsequent videos Stimulated interest in project |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://www.casasp.ox.ac.uk/esrc_inequality.html |
| Description | Dissemination video: Spatial inequality measurement in South Africa |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Dissemination video discussed conceptual and methodological issues concerning spatial inequality measurement in the context of our current study The video has stimulated interest in spatial inequality measurement within South Africa |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://www.casasp.ox.ac.uk/esrc_inequality.html |
| Description | Personal briefings for senior members of South African government civil service and Members of Parliament |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Series of personal briefings for Director Generals and Deputy Director Generals of South African government departments in the social cluster (e.g. Department of Social Development and Department for Cooperative Governance), as well as Members of Parliament. Raised awareness of the importance of spatial inequality as a barrier to development within South Africa, and raised awareness of the variations in public attitudes towards different policy options for redress. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012,2013,2014 |
| URL | http://www.casasp.ox.ac.uk/esrc_inequality.html |
| Description | Presentation to Carnegie 3 conference in Cape Town |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
| Results and Impact | Approximately 100 researchers, policy makers and practitioners attended our session at the Carnegie 3 conference. We presented the concepts, methods and emerging findings from our project and engaged in Q and A discussion afterwards. We received a number of follow-up enquiries from academics and students for further information about the study and details of how they could, themselves, access our two 'input' datasets: the South African Index of Multiple Deprivation (and the national Census data from on which the Index is based) and the South African Social Attitudes Survey. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| URL | http://www.carnegie3.org.za/ |