Household language, residential segregation and social mobility : continuity and change in eThekwini, South Africa

Date
2016
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Union for African Population Studies
Abstract
This article uses South African census data for 1996, 2001 and 2011 to explore the relationship between language and social mobility in the metropolitan region of eThekwini (including what was previously known as Durban). We focus particular attention on variables selected to shed light on residential segregation and social mobility, such as education level, income, race and in-migration. Data on adults at ward level (using 2011 ward boundaries) in eThekwini is used to develop a comparative spatial context for this analysis. Our main finding is that English appears in eThekwini to be the household language of the social elite as well as the language of upward mobility and empowerment.
Description
CITATION: Bekker, S. & Hill, L. 2016. Household language, residential segregation and social mobility: Continuity and change in eThekwini, South Africa. African Population Studies, 30(2): 2255-2274, doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.11564/30-2-809.
The original publication is available at http://aps.journals.ac.za/pub
Keywords
Social mobility -- South Africa -- Durban, Recidential mobility -- South Africa -- Durban, Urbanization -- South Africa -- Durban, Social change -- South Africa -- Durban, Segregation -- South Africa -- Durban, Sociolinguistics -- South Africa -- Durban, Linguistic demography -- South Africa -- Durban, Durban (South Africa) -- Languages
Citation
Bekker, S. & Hill, L. 2016. Household language, residential segregation and social mobility: Continuity and change in eThekwini, South Africa. African Population Studies, 30(2): 2255-2274, doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.11564/30-2-809