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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:Family Matters and the State: Policy and Everyday Life
Authors:Segar, J.ISNI
White, C.ISNI
Year:1992
Periodical:Transformation: Critical Perspectives on Southern Africa
Issue:20
Pages:61-74
Language:English
Geographic term:South Africa
Subjects:constitutional reform
family
women
Women's Issues
Peoples of Africa (Ethnic Groups)
Politics and Government
Law, Human Rights and Violence
Family Life
Cultural Roles
Marital Relations and Nuptiality
Law, Legal Issues, and Human Rights
Sex Roles
External link:https://d.lib.msu.edu/tran/200/OBJ/download
Abstract:It is not clear what form of 'the family' the ANC and other organizations in South Africa are assuming in their policy statemements on equal rights for men and women within the family in a future South Africa. The authors use material from other societies and epochs in order to show that particular State policies help to form and maintain particular family-based relationships in society. They argue that it is of great significance to the quality of everyday life just what kinds of policies governments adopt, whether they are directly designed to influence the shape of the family or not. This article first presents an overview of several assumptions about families and a description of the interplay between economic factors, State policy and family form in the countryside. Then it examines three variables that influence women's opportunities for relative autonomy: wages, social security, and housing and land policies. The conclusion is that family matters and State policy go hand in hand, which is contrary to the commonly held notion that the family and the form it takes is part of the private rather than the public arena. Bibliogr., notes.
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