Posted on by michellebeeslaar

The myth of suburbia

In the midst of COVID19 and lockdown in South Africa, there has been much commentary on the class fault lines suggesting a return to ‘normal’ should never be contemplated. In the space of a few weeks, we have seen forced removals under the guise of court sanctioned removals, outcry over the temporary homeless shelter in Strandfontein and the chaos of competition for basic food parcels in both Manenberg and Mitchell’s Plain. Perhaps the best illustration defining this purported class schism within the pandemic are contained in the photo essay published by the Daily Maverick on 8 April 2020. Beyond politics, social activists point to a country reminiscent of the tale of two cities, the privileged and the poor. Irrespective of the validity of differing socioeconomic and health analyses, it is clear that as Vannie Kaap would say that ‘alles is nie reg by die huis nie’. 

Cape Town and Johannesburg, both epicenters of the confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, are a microcosm of a broader reality facing middle class South Africa. It is not a popular topic. Certainly not as public-figures amongst these ranks appear to muddy individual liberties with lobbying for the alcohol and tobacco industry. The Woolworths rotisserie chicken debacle entrenched the picture of a class so out of touch with the socioeconomic realities of their country, that they would call the current President, the worst ever in our history. Tone deaf given actions of many political leaders during Apartheid. To seemingly place their right not to cook above a growing majority who have nothing to cook appears grossly inhumane.  A perception has emerged that the middle class have finally drawn a line around their suburbs – a line guarded by lawyers, willing to litigate that some interests and livelihoods are ostensibly more valuable than others, some lives more dispensable than others. The truth however is not as simple as social media would have us believe. 

In 2019, the Southern African – Towards Inclusive Economic Development (SA-TIED) released a working paper which used in part data from the South African Revenue Service. Key findings included that the wealth of the top 1% was doubling whilst the remainder saw stagnation. Who are the 1%? According to SA-TIED, individuals earning R800,000 per annum. In the same year, the Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit (SALDRU) published data suggesting that the top 1% was made up of individuals earning R48,753 per month. This study placed the middle class as being top 10% that earned R7,313 a month. In perspective, the median wage is R3,300. Herein lies the myth of the middle class in South Africa. The work of Dr Jason Musyoka of the University of Pretoria packages the disparate data and suggests that there are few South Africans, of all races, that are both not poor and yet don’t own assets beyond a salaried or regular monthly income. Researchers place this percent at around 20% of the population. In sum, South Africa is not a middle class, but rather a working class society. When seen in this context, the dynamics of the class war seemingly raging in South Africa takes on a new perspective. A perspective of which I think lays squarely at the door of mischievous politicians on all sides of the spectrum.

Our political narrative has been one of poverty versus privilege as if they were binary. The economics without the politicking tell a different story. The 13 May 2019 cover of Time Magazine starkly shows that the middle class is not to be found in Camps Bay or Sandton but in communities in the likes Boksburg, Pretoria Moot and Retreat. Somewhere between the salary percentiles of R3,300 and R48,753 is a sea of over-indebtedness to the extent the people outside the 1% are turning to credit to cover costs such as groceries, transport, education and healthcare. In a 2019 interview, Paul Slot from the Debt Counselling Association indicated that around 10 million had bad debt, with an average of 8 loans each, spending typically 63% of monthly income on debt servicing.  These figures give credence to the assertion that above the 6.8 million Stats SA indicated had experienced hunger in 2017, food insecurity is a far wider challenge that encompasses to a degree the working and middle class. Even amongst the limited few who have access to tertiary education, are many who at times struggle to access affordable and nutritious food, which the Centre of Excellence in Food Security describes as ‘a skeleton in universities’ closets’. 

There is a good argument to be made, without undermining the impoverished conditions of 60% of our population, that the socioeconomic conditions prior to the novel coronavirus pandemic, were more pervasive than partisan public discourse would have us believe. Within this context, it is understandable that those in the 20% are afraid of what lockdown means for their families’ survival. The reasonable fear is played upon by right-leaning organizations to reinforce neoliberal agendas. This coupled with eloquent communication by provocateurs who do not represent the lived reality of those they claim to represent, creates a false history of this tale of two cities as it were. If the wail for rotisserie chicken was made, it was done by those who would need to pay for it on credit, but more likely an opportunity seized by the 1% to drum up sympathetic support amongst two classes, smaller than the majority, but already long buckling under the weight of economic decline. 

The true bearer of the flag of privilege is the 1%.

The remaining 99% are separated by degrees of poverty.

Whilst we don’t know what realities we will face on the other side of COVID19, we must be wary to ignite a class war that has no winners except those with no pun intended, already in the pound seat. 

Posted on by Sinenhlanhla Sikhosana

I Spy With My Little Eyes… A Perfect Supervisor

Is there an algorithm for choosing a supervisor?

If the gods of academia work in my favour, this time next year I, will be a postdoctoral research fellow. While searching for potential postdoc positions, a thought crossed my mind: ‘Could there be an existing algorithm on how to choose a perfect supervisor?’. I then went on a quest to find this hidden treasure, a journal with steps, perhaps a machine learning algorithm that spews out ones’ ideal mentor. To my despair, this journal was non-existent.

However, not all hope is lost because I did discover numerous articles with guidelines on how to choose a supervisor. These guidelines, combined with my personal experience, will surely assist you in your pursuit of a good supervisor. The guidelines outline the best-case scenario where you, as a student, have the power to choose your ideal institution and supervisor. Unfortunately, in some cases, due to funding restrictions or structured study programmes, the student does not have the freedom to choose a supervisor but is allocated one. In the latter instance, one just has to appease the academic gods and hope that they are paired with a good supervisor.

As always, a good starting point is being self-aware. Before pursuing the postgraduate journey, it is essential that you know your working style, work ethics, strengths and weaknesses, hence performing some type of personal SWOT analysis is a good starting point. For example, I knew that I was not a proactive student; therefore, I needed a supervisor with strict working rules. My MSc supervisor had set weekly update meetings, this kept me on my toes and hence worked in my favour compared to a relaxed approach. Doing the personal SWOT analysis will help you find a supervisor who complements your weaknesses and pushes you to be a better researcher. An important aspect of self-reflection is having a bigger picture of the research field you want to pursue. Take note of the broad research field that interests you, then create a list of potential topics that you want to work in.

Once you have a list of topics that interest you, you can now begin to search for a supervisor candidate. An article by the editor of the Prospects website details the steps of actively searching for a potential supervisor. This article indicates that one should start with searching for the most cited papers, published blogs, and recently submitted PhD dissertations in your area of interest. If you are inclined to the social engagement aspect, you should also search for researchers who also do some level of outreach activities. Once you have conducted this search, you should reduce your list to realistic potential researchers. For example, if you have no interest in moving abroad, then all the candidates from other countries should be removed from your list.

Next would be a background check on the list of potential researchers. Although sometimes it is not feasible, a background check is essential, especially for female students (unfortunately, not all researchers have good intentions). One can approach previous students supervised by your potential advisor to understand the type of person they are and their work ethics. Of course, the information will be biased based now the kind of relationship the student had with the advisor. However, if multiple students mention the same thing, especially if it’s sexual misconduct, then you might have to consider removing that person from your list.

An article by the Academic Positions websites clearly outlines how one can then approach the potential supervisors. In summary, you must send an email detailing your research interests, the reasons you would like them to be your supervisor, and ask for a face to face meeting (either personally or virtually) to further discuss the project you are interested in. This email should also include your revamped CV. Once you have made contact, the next phases are out of your control; you can only hope for the best outcome. If the first meeting does take place, make a list of concise questions to ask that will help you in your final decision making. These are the questions you could include: How many students are they currently supervising? Do they have time for more students? What are their expectations of the students under their supervision? If necessary, would they be able to fund you? Do they have affiliations with other institutions?

The academic journey has no guarantees, but make the most of your journey. Postgraduate studies and student-supervisor relationships can be emotionally taxing, as detailed by a previous SAYAS blog; hence it is vital to put in all this effort. Having the ‘right’ supervisor can be a catalyst to your growth in academia and having the ‘wrong’ supervisor could lead to depression. My MSc and PhD supervisor has been a mentor and advisor. In the moments where I felt so defeated and incompetent, he always knew the right things to say to keep me motivated. He has been selfless and transparent when giving advice, even if it meant losing me as a student. As a result, he connected me with multiple international collaborators which immensely advanced my research.

Another SAYAS blog likens supervisors to coffee, funny but very true. Supervisors are very different and have various supervision styles buts once you find your preferential ‘coffee’ it will be magical. It will have a lasting impact on both your academic and personal life.

Even though there are all these ingredients to finding the best supervisor, you as the student have to put in the most effort. There are no guarantees that all these steps will lead you to your ideal supervisor, but you also have to be willing to maximise your potential to gain the most from your postgraduate experience. If the relationship does get toxic, be mindful of the steps you could take to fix it or find another supervisor; hence it is important to be aware of the structures that handle these matters in your institution.