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SOC2602 Assignment 2
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A discussion on Hein Marais’s account of South Africa’s position in the world system.
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SOC2602Assignment 2:
Title: A discussion on Hein Marais’s account of South Africa’s position in
the world system.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page number
1. Introduction.....................................................................................................2
2. Origins and Emergence of The Capitalist Apartheid System.........................3
3. The South African Economy 1950’s and 1960’s............................................4
4. The 1970’s ‘organic crisis’ of the South African Economy...........................4
5. The ‘new conjuncture’ of the 1980’s..............................................................6
6. South Africa’s Current Position in the World System....................................6
7. Conclusion......................................................................................................8
8. Bibliography....................................................................................................9
1
, 1. Introduction
The anomalous nature of South Africa has long been a popular subject for
discussion, not only in the discipline of Sociology, but also in Political
Sciences and Economics.
Since colonial times South Africa has been characterised by an internal and
external struggle for ultimate control over its resources and economy
(Gelderblom & Martin 2006:30).
For many academics the difficulty lies in locating South Africa’s position
within the global capitalist system. Due to this South Africa’s economy and the
particular way in which it emerged, has long been a topic of debate and has
been analysed by many scholars over the course of its history (Gelderblom &
Martin 2006:29).
In Hein Marais’ book: South Africa, Limits to Change; the political-economy
of Transition, he attempts to analyse South Africa’s position in the world
system in a manner that overcomes previous complications and obstacles of
debates, by using a methodological approach of a ‘political-economy’
Marais argues that most accounts of South Africa’s capitalist apartheid system
and its transition to democracy tend to focus solely on its political and
ideological facets while ignoring the socioeconomic aspects. It is for this
reason that Marais believes a ‘political-economy’ approach is best suited. This
is due to the fact that it focuses on the relationship between the development of
industrial capitalist economies and its associated changes in state, politics and
most importantly: society.
Marais believes that it is only by analysing the complex and contradictory
socioeconomic, political and ideological forces that unfolded in South Africa
over the course of its history, that one will be able to ascertain the possibility
of and obstacles preventing South Africa from achieving its goals of equality,
freedom and development for all its citizens.
It is therefore critical to gain proper understanding of the reasons why South
African society developed in the manner it did and in response I would like to
discuss Marais’s account of South Africa’s position in the world system.
For the purposes of this essay, I will begin by providing Marais’s account of
the emergence and origins of the capitalist apartheid system. I will then be
following his account of the development of the South African economy and
its position in the global capitalist system, through the 1950’s and 1960’s up to
the economic crisis of the 1970’s. I will also touch upon Marais’s analysis of
the final decision to end apartheid in the 1980’s. I will then be demonstrating
Marais’s account of South Africa’s current position in the world system.
2
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