Youth in Post-Apartheid South Africa A Sociological Perspective

This book investigates the life experiences of youth in South Africa, considering whether contemporary youth have benefitted from the socioeconomic reconstruction of post-apartheid society.

Student protests against apartheid drove transformative change in South Africa, and the subsequent new constitution promised positive change for the nation’s youth across a range of sectors. Adopting a sociological perspective, this book uses primary and secondary data sources to illustrate the myriad ways post-apartheid socioeconomic developments have impacted the life experiences of the country’s youth across areas including health, education, family life, economic activity, technology, substance use, and politics. The book considers the historical legacy of colonialism, racism and immigration in shaping the context in which youth experiences in the country have evolved. The book argues that in 1976 South Africa’s youth became the conscience of the nation when they brought the apartheid regime to its knees during the Soweto uprising. What happens to them now will continue to define the nation’s future.

This book will be of interest to researchers across the social sciences, most especially in the fields of Sociology, Demography, Development Studies, and Psychology.