South Africa's Emergent Middle Class

This book presents an analysis of research evidence in an attempt to understand the black middle class experiences in contemporary South Africa. Like many other social phenomena, the black middle class concept is seen as complex and not easy to pin down. As a result, conceptualizations from this book are dynamic and relevant for understanding the position of the black middle class in contemporary South African society. This book was published as a special issue of Development Southern Africa.

This book is drawn from diverse studies that grapple with Black Middle Class experiences in contemporary and historical South Africa. The chapters present research from diverse disciplines, and tackle issues related to being black and middle class, using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Like many other social phenomena, the black middle class concept is seen as complex and not easy to pin down. As a result, conceptualizations from these chapters are dynamic and relevant for understanding the position of the black middle class in contemporary South African society. An interesting dynamic explored by contributors is the critical engagement with the usually reductionist notions of black middle class experiences as ahistorical, homogenous experiences of a group of conspicuous consumers. These limiting notions are unpacked and repositioned in how the book is structured. This book was published as a special issue of Development Southern Africa.