A quantitative investigation of the experience of household crowding in South African hostels : the case of Kwesine hostel
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Date
2003
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Abstract
The problems associated with the relationship between humans and their environment are especially marked within the remains of a political system enforced on millions in South Africa. One of the complications of the Apartheid regime was the practice of migrant labour. Migrant labour in itself led to other complications such as disrupted family life, the disintegration of existing social structures and crowding in low-cost housing compounds, commonly known as hostels. It is obvious that the removal of Apartheid from the Statute Books has not resolved the practical problems stemming from its practice.
South African hostels are generally characterised by high levels of both social and spatial density. Research (for example Oliver-Evans, 1992; Payze & Keith, 1993; Ramphele, 1993) indicates that several people often share the same bed in one hostel, while a minimum of four beds are usually found in a room of about 3m x 3m. This is usually accompanied by an insufficient infrastructure resulting in for example 16 families sharing one toilet. Other factors also seem to exacerbate the subjective experience of crowding, such as the lack of privacy which frequently accompanies inadequate infrastructure, and a lack of services such as garbage removal, sewerage maintenance, and water and electricity supply. The above research illustrates several discrepancies between the needs of hostel residents and the realities of their physical environment. Within this context the current study qualitatively investigates the subjective experience of household crowding at Kwesine Hostel on the Reef.
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Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts (Clinical Psychology) at the University of Zululand, 2003.
Keywords
Crowding stress--South Africa--Kwesine hostel, Housing--Psychological aspects