ZSBLJ&s.

own ereative capacities toward* constructive manipulation

of thair own environment, as it is now, and whatever it

will become.

Whatever this anvronment is, its hazards, its very

unpredictability and harshness, provide the challenge to

which the* must find their own creative responses, and only

so will they be able to attain that end which is the birth­

right of all men.v1'

■hethar this supreme purpose of African society will be

in harmony with what European society in South Africa con­

siders its own birthright, has been left out of consideration*

neither the furtherance and maintenance of "white" civilisation

in South Africa, nor the guiding of African society towards

this aim, can be accepted, conscientiously, by me as a purpose.

X have tried to direct my valuations towards what 1 , in good

faith, conceive as the "good" of African society in terms of

ths above creative response* Whether this is necessarily

also the "good" of European society has been left out of

considsration* Whether there Is a "comssunu® bonus" for both,

whilst each preserves Its own identity, 1 do not know. Hence

even such an aim as peaceful co-operation and what is needed

to bring this about has not been considered* Co-operation

needs two co-operating parties, and for this ths "needs” of

iSuropsan society would also havs to be studied*

The organisations havs been studlsd for the purpose of

yielding information about the needs of African women* They

have been assssssd as to the degree and nature of their need-

aatlsfaction. The needs have been interpreted, not as

adjustment needs, but as transitional needs, not aa what the

women require to adjust themselves in a restricted and i n ­

definable “Western environment", but as what the women require

to start acting as creative agsnts of their destiny, adapting

the given environment in suoh a way that they introduce

changes and obtain mastery over it, which alone will enable

them to wrest from it the greatest potentialities for the

fulfilment of their higher aspirations, whioh are the higher

aspirations of mankind.

Any further definitions of those higher aspirations, must

be left to the evolving Africans themselves to define.

I * • * . * *

(l) hen, in the Funeral Booletiee, African women try to re­create certain values of their tribal “Harvest Festival” in their annual party, then thie is not an adjustment to their environment, but an adaptation of thair environment through a creative act*

M O D S o r P B 1 3 I I T A T I O S

The attempt has bs»n mada to compeneate for unavoidable

incompletenses by pattern, end for the laok of quantitative

and detailed data by «jfr?.?fing SLualitative,,£r&oiplga.

To this end the organisations have been olaasifisd In

types according to oertain main iurposes»-

Typei "YAltYAffO". These ars the ^o m d ' i organisations of

ths Christian Churches. Thsir determining factor is

" raying and Preaching" during weekly-held religious

meetings. The membsrs wsar uniform.

Typsi "S?QCfgL" - This terra dsnotss a variety of clubs,

societies sad or&snisationa, ths determining factors

of whioh arc* a "pooling" of monies or goods, whioh

go to sach member of ths group in rotation, end/or a

"party" which enables ths hostsss to earn eome money

by oatering.

Type» "PUB’:^AL S0C1STY" . Ths dstsrmining factor 1st

assistsnos to ths bereaved in ths form of money and

asrvicss. Additional forms of mutual aid ars

generally included.

Types "CuM^UHlTY SiianCB". The do terra in ing f so tor is*

fund-raising and/or earning for a concrete object,

which performs a nsossaary ssrvios for ths community*

Typsi "tteMBiUtaas CLUB". Ths dstsrmining factor is'

improvement of hone end feminine eelf by lectures

and demonstrations.

Typsi "YOUTH ORQASI NATION". Ths dstermining factor isi

to provide young psopls with some form of discipline

and lslsurs-tims aotivitiss outside schoolhours.

The order in which the typss of organisations *re M U M M k

(with ths sxosption of ths last-mentioned), aa well as ths sequence

in whioh the forms of sach type are dealt with, represents gensrally

sa ascsndin< order from ths mors African-patterned to the more

Surepsan-structured. This, however, could not always be maintained.

For instance / • . . . .

fcfgf JI-

For instance, ia the Stockfel type, the order of presentation

has been arranged so that it lsads from the more simple to the

more oomplioated organisational forms, which does not always

coincide with the more African or European forms*

Manyano and 'tockfel are the organisations most congenial

to African women, and they are numerically the most important*

They are certainly also the oldest voluntary organisations*

Hence these are the first to be dealt with.

The Funeral Societies, the Community Service Groupa, and

the Homemakers Clubs are dealt with in this order, which re­

presents an ascending line in respect of purpose and members'

relationships.

The Funeral Societies are groupings for a direct, concrete

purpoee or purposes, which affeot eaoh member individually*

Group-oohsrence is maintained by concrete mutual obligations*

Ths Community Servioe Groups are groupings for a direct

ooncrste purpose, which is of benefit to the group* Group-

ooherence is maintained mainly by the fact that members have

individual benefit from the oommon purpose*

The Homemakers Clubs are groupings for aa indirect

purpoee, which is personal' yet commonly shared* The indirect

purpose is broken down into little direot purposes* Group-

coherenoe is maintained by shared Interests.

The absence of Trading Societies may strike the reader as

it did the investigator* This is in marked oontrast to West

Africa where, according to information, these constitute prac­

tically the only type of women*e organisation* If these exiet

in Johannesburg or Durbsn, thsy hare not been found* Whatever

exiets resembling Trading Societies is developed along linee eo

similar to Stookfel procedures, that thsy have been inoluded

under that type* And on the whole theee were more developed in

Durban (where the women are more readily taking to trading) than

in Johsnneeburg*

It may be queried why, as ordsr of presentation, the

organisational/technical features rather than the needs were

chosen. The main reasons for this are that each organisation

shows ths existence and attempt at satisfaction of too many and

too variegated needs, that the same needs occur in widely differ­

ing organisations, and that a full description of the more im­

portant European organisations had in any ease to be given*

The /* . .* *

The needs havs been allowed to emerge from the description

of the organisations* The whole pattern of organisational

behaviour often sxprssses a need.

The order of presentation followed within each type of

organisation has been the result of a not always successful

attempt at uniformity. After an enumeration of the different

forms studied, a description of the main organisations of that

type follows. Then fellows an analytical part which is some­

times preceded by a review of the main needs pertaining to

these organisations, whilst sometimes the needs are allowed to

emerge from the analytical part Itself.

In the descriptive parts* Z have tried to present the

facts of on organisation according to logical categories» facts

such as ore generally to be found in the Annual Be ports, Consti­

tutions and other printed material concerning the organisation's

activities*

In the analytical part, however, evaluations of ths facts

enter the picture, since the selection of significant features

and the arrangement of the various aspects of the organisation's

activities under certain general headings are already governed by

the general aim in views to show the needs end the way these are

met*

Hence the evaluation which generally completes a chapter is

a© more than a general summing up of conclusions which havs been

pare pared and developed previously*

This is ths inevitable result of an investigation in which

needs and organisations have been from the start closely inter­

linked, but I hope that, in this way, certain needs have become

uncovered, less concrete and lees obvious needs, but none the less

urgent ones*

While collecting ay material, certain recurring patterns

and certain general facts about women and organisations emerged.

It seemed aore useful to gather these and insert them under

separate headings at the beginning rather than at the end as

"findings". In this way, they can serve the reader as a general

introduction /* .* •

introduction to the subject and facilitate the understanding of

•onetines conpiex situations. The general chapter on "logon%

as well ss the general ohapter on " otn in organi»fttiflngw

originated in this way.

It also beoatte necessary to introduoe a ohapter on the

energing class structure* since the concept "claes" is neoaeaarjr

for this enquisy•

Certain general problem^ affecting urban African women of

Johannesburg which emerged from this investigation and which,

although they nay not fall directly under the tern "needs", never­

theless play their part all along in the life of the women, hacwe

been discussed in connection with those organisations where they

sssmed most in evidence. This seemed the best way out, although

it required the rather irritating introduction of cross references,

as well as tha possibly even more irritating subdivision of some

of the problems*

Thue the problem of Christianity naturally fell under the

i£anysnos. The problem of sex and sex behaviour had to be dieoussed

under the Manyano* and under Youth organisations. Ths problsm of

sdueated versus uneducated women has bees discussed under ths Home-

makers Clubs, that of the younger versus the older generation, how­

ever, hsd to be discussed partly under any an os and partly under

Homemakers Clubs. The problem of the husbands naturally penetrates

all organisations, but is discussed mainly under Class Structure,

Emancipation of tfomen and the Community Service Groups. The problem

of pre-eohool and non—school—going children falls under Community

Service Groups and under Youth Organisations.

If thsss questions hsd been discussed in their totality at

the beginning, some aspacts would have had to be repeated in the

discussion of the organisations in which they are particularly in

evidence.

There ie already sufficient repetition, which is inevitable

and is due to the interrelation of all problems.

Since 1 do not oonaider that I have been able to follow a

consistent method, the whole notion has been emitted, but the In­

troductory section on Approach gives the basic ldeae, whioh are *

specified further in a section entitled Sources of Information.

A section on Sources of Interpretation became necessary beoauae of

the evaluational character of this inquiry and finally, and for the

a an a reason, It was ssssntial to state very clearly and explicitly

the value premises used, and the reasons why ths purpose towards

whioh the needs had to be related had to be rephrased.

Illustrative / • . . .

Illustrative and evidential mat-a rial has bean, after long

hesitation, divided into what ia essential to follow tha argument

sad understand ths trend of tha general text, and what can ha die-

peneed with, yet livens and dsapens ths general picture* Ths

former has bean inserted in the text, and the latter has been

added in an ap endix. any of the latter oases are illustrative

of sore than ons feature or trend.

Finally, refertnoea to existing literature have hem

linited to the indispensihls, and are only given where it was

felt that a statement needed authoritative support which

applied specially in the field of anthropology, and where

direot quotations are given.

Similarly, it had to he assumed that the general

information relating to housing, schooling, urbanisation,

increase in the nunbsr of urban womsn, i*e* certain basic

facts about urban Africans* Is known.

A P P R O A C H

The approach finally adopted aa most suitable to achieve

the purpose of this enquiry, has been influenced by the following

factors*-

1) The fact that a new field had to be opened op by some­

body inexperienced in the eetablishsd techniques of ths

relsvsnt soisnoss and a newcomer to the subjsot* It was

necsssary to open up and to keep open as many souress of

information aa pc Bible* At the outset thsre was no basis

for determining what was important and what was not.

Ltsnos, nothing was dsemed too frivolous or futlls, no

souros of possible evidence was laid aside, no theme was

declared irrelevant* If one does not know what to look

for, one must obvlottely look for and at everything.

Although gradually certain patterns seemed to emerge

froia which a lead could be obtained as to subsequent

probing, yet one had always to remain aware of and ready

for the possibilities of new eouroee, while continuing to

explore those already taken up.

That, in this way, a mass of matsrial has been oolleoted

ranging over the most varied subjects, some of which h*?e

not oven reoslvsd a brief mention, ie the inevitable result.

2) lae limitation in. time aa against ths vaatness of th* field

to be explored* This has influenced an ap^roaoh more

directed towarce trends than faots, towards certain basie

principles rather than towards minute deeorlption*

3) The evaluations! purpose of ths investigation, which has

influenced the approach more in the direction of "depth"

than "apread"* In order to be able to evaluate with any

ohanee of validity, a.aualltativj fi£fj%agh is necessary,

which requires dseper and understanding knowledge more

than mere deeorlption or enumeration*

4) Th#. general, inter-racial situation. In this respect

my first lnprs*»ions, as statsd in my Preliminary Rsrort,

have been fully substantiated.^ And in the year of thie

investigation/* * *«

(l) 1 also refer to what has been said under thie heading in thsffursss Report*

investigation, the situation has nppreeisMj worsened. It

has been * year in which ths Government Volley of * ’apart-

hsid* st sll coste" has manifested itself in more intense form.

Verily, a mors unfavourable atmosphere for individual con­

tents across the colour line could hardly be created* ted

this tragic fact has been ths greatest single obstacle en­

countered in this research. To gain, in a short tins, ths

oonfidenoe of some African women, is very difficult* And it

was this which had to bs done, sines, at ths outset, I startsd

without knowing one single African woman* Since the complete

Western &reas Survey tad the subsequent threat of removal,

ifriosns nave become even more auspicious of all invsatlgm-

tions* And women are, by nature I believe, more suspicious

then men, beosuae they understand less of stoat is actually

happening, luropesne with long contacts with sons women

J stil; have their oonfidenoe, but this was nut ®y privilege.

% previous long yeare of experience and contact with other

fon-Suropeane have been a considerable help, as was also ths

fast that I had no instinctive or initial "colour bar feeling"

to conquer la mysslf* Gonverssly, ths fact that i wss a

“foreigner" made me more easily acceptable to the women.

i

J) Th. » n .r » I fluidity ,f th. •t«u«Uan. * . at. Uvlog in

times of great and profound changes. What is valid today

may not bs valid tomorrow. This wakes » historical view­

point wellnigh imperative* The organisations have been

studisd as dynamically evolving processes* the eessnce of

which cannot be extracted from their appearance at a

particular moment of time. I have throughout enquired after

their origin, sad have found this, moreover, useful in dis­

covering needs.

An initial difficulty is that the women in African-run

organisations have difficulty in tolling the story of their

organisation. It could seldom be obtained from only one

person, net even from the founder, and it had to be pieced

together fro® the statements of various participants, which

statements were sometimes contradictory* ivmn in furopssn-

run organisations, historical records are seldom available.

The frequent changes in personnel make reliable historical

information difficult to obtain, whilst the leading figures

were often disinclined to confide to an obssrver the story

of trial and srrer upon which thsir organisation naturally

m »t be built.

Two sore general cons ids rati one have also influenced my

approach*

6) The /

6) .The. int»rrelatlon otLMtn^e b u m . Ia the «tudy of m b ,

contrary tc the study of nature* the phenomena to be studied

cannot be isolated. To single out cor tain phenomena for

specialised study without due referencs to a larger context

is to place thsm in an artificial vacuum, the ratified

atmosphere of the 1aboratory» away from ths reality ia

which thsy haws their existence. The only way tc study

Man is against the background of the whole Universe*

in the many problems end needs of urban African womsn, there

ie a deep unity between ths problems themselves, as well ae

between these problems end the whole African problem|

between these and the Lluropsaa problem in South Africa{

between the latter an<3 the problems of our continent |

which again are part end parcel of the general world

problems of today*

The impact of Western Civilisation on the Sea-:urops«n

l«opies of the world is a universal phenomenon which sets

off chain reactions in all »aa~urcpean countries* What

is happsniag in Megro America or on the Odd Coast directly

influences the iouth African Bantu and the South Afri c«n

white person*

Baeh aspect of a particular problem in the Johannesburg

locations can be underetcod only within this total context*

in every facet of an African woman's life is mirrorred the

whole picture.^1 '

Where ie a halt to be called to the interrelations of all

these fields of oaueation? A qualitative study must pose

the question and give an answer. % point ef ’’halt" hae

been set after the interrelations of the African problems

between themselves* Only rarely hae a passing comparison

been made with the European aspect* At first it is hardly

posslbls to refrain from such comparison*

The interrelations of the African problems between the»-

selves are in themselves sufficiently complex* Fro® what­

ever angle one approaches a particular aspect of a woman's

life one finds oneself, in trying to understand it, either

running around in circles, "the vicious circle", or one hits

one's head against the wall, callsd "the basic facte of the

colour bar1'* In avoiding both, an investigation runs the

risk of either oversimplifying the situation, ©r becoming

repetitive ad nausesm by re-statement of these “basic facte".

7) The subjective / • • * •

This fundamental philosophical problem was found represented insociological terms in "The irinciple of Cumulation", unnar yrdal,"An m arican ‘ ilemna" . Hew York, Tth Mltion, ?ol*2, Appendix 3*

I s a .M

7) The .S.uktogl^.*teBSSl^” *** distinc­

tion U often made between ths so-called "subjsctivs" and

the so-called " objective" aspects of a situation, i*«,

botwsen what is called th® "reality situation'* and the

emotional attitudes towards this situation# The implication

is that what w* feel about a situation is net aa real aa

the fasta of the situation itself*

If the apr-roach adopted in this study has been rathe* eueh

m to i m attention to the subjective aspects of thia«a,

this has been dose far two reaeons*

a) The "reality situation** is* on the whole, only too

well known* Xt sea«o usslsss once more to establish

aush "basic facts**, or to prove that they also apply

to the women*

b) The "reality situation** bsloafs in the present African

set up to the real® of the "Acts of God", squally un­

predictable, unavoidable and unchangeable. The only

change which can possibly be brought about, and towards

which ^uropsans can possibly still assist, is in ths

people*s attitude towards this situation.

These considerations Isad to eons final aattsrs of Approach*

Tha necessity for ^jflljrtllsntlana

This was gradually brought hone to ms« Tot, In the fluidity

of th® situation, the multiplicity and unevenness of th* transitions,

it is hardly possible to teak* valid generalisations* Africans has*

besom* greatly differentiated. ' 1 ‘ Th* mods* of assimilation into

urban life and of %eetem traits vary oonsidsrably and cover a widsr

rang* than ia European society. Cine triee to find common denomina­

tors, yet for every statement mads about any number of women, an

equal number of exceptions can be brought forward. It tbsrsfore

finally beoemee a matter of emphasis) one can stress how extensive

has been the adoption of Western patterns, and one can stress how

limited this adoption has been*

If my ap: roach tends to ovsr-gsneraliaation, which mi^ht wall

be, but cannot be judged by myself, this may bs due to the fact that

a y knowledge of English simply doss not contain enough way* of con­

ditional phrasing, and b*caus* on* cannot repeat every time that ao

generalisation is valid*

ff“ ft j.* frt iv e / .............

(X) See Chapter on the Claae Structure .

The subjective element.

This doss not antor beo&use on* studies tha subjective aspect

of thinga, since this can be objectively observed and impartially

recorded. It enteri* through interpretation of tha facts, and this

la ultimately dependent on on#'a personal philosophy and one's pre­

vious axperience and past knowledge* As to tha former, one can do

no store than state tha fundamental value premises implied therein

clearly and explicitly! as to tha latter* it say ha necessary to

sake these known.

As an Orientalist studying specially Islamic culture* I lived

continuously for some years in coubtries in the Hear sad Far i>ast,

cost of ths time entirely aiaongst Persian* Arab* Turkish* Egyptian

and Indian m s lists* and Indian Hindus* Before that I had soae

years in various Lu rope an universities studying mainly subjects

relating to the History and Transmittance of Ideas.

Z believe the two smia influences i'roa thsse past experiences

are*

That I have learned to see Western Civilisation with the

eyes of Son-Tiurepeans and have learned to respect the

*ethcr-»eseM of peopless

That 2 cannot but compare Africans with other Hon-fcuropeans

of sty acquaintance, and that the distinction between

"prirritivs" and “civilised" societies is for no an sver

present reality*

The approach adopted la qualitative* dynamic* exploratory*

covering a vast and varied range of subjects* It has inevitably

been influenced by chance* by the general difficulties of inter­

racial contacts in a town like Johannesburg, by the look of living*’

contact and the ability to speak a Bantu language* It has been

such as to attempt a picture of the whole, in spite of the limitation

in time* and it has atreessd attitudes* motives* feelings and moods.

Moreover* the reader had better be warned beforehand that ha

is entering a “woman's world*, in which things are viewed from a

woman *s sngle and men only come in as "husbands" aad "fathers".

Ths inevitable ovsr-s»i'hasis on wcaen and women's ways may serve

as a useful foil to ether researches in which things are seen from

the men*s point of view* and women only enter as appendages.

As agreed at the oommittes aeetlng of the 23rd October* 1953*

a elf a re aptroaoh has been adopted throughout.

30UHCBS / . . . . . . .

8 0 U H C S S O F H F @ 1 1 4 T I 0 I

1) Interview*

2) Activities

3) Books

• 4) Larger or waller quantitative teats*

Interviews

Suaber of persons Interviewed t 260 odd.

These persons were t African women - approx* 1J0

African men • 23

.uropeans - " 85

The tera "interview" ie too precise and ii'sited la mesn-

ing tc cover ths wide variety of human contacts sought and

attained. Hones, it is impoesibls to give an exact figure.

This applies particularly to ths Africana thus "interviewed",

and even sore to the women amongst the®, with whom a mors

continuous fora of personal relationship was sought.

In actual fact, the information obtained was of diffsrent

kinds and should bo classified as*

») Verbatim recording of conversations}

b) r'reciae "behaviourietic” observation of behaviour,reactions, interssts, manners and rasnnsrisme, tone

of voice, etc*}

c) Evaluation as tc spontaneity, scoretiveness,(sincerity, general educational level, force of personality, ambitions, motivations, etc.f

d) The collection of "opinions" and ths rating thereof?

o) The oolloction of "attitudes".

As already explained in ray freliainary aoport, it has

throughout been the aim to eetablioh personal, contact bated

on a coaraon humanity and a oomson wcataahood. The forms which

this contact took depended entirely on cay failure or success

in sstablishing this relationship. Ths interviews varisd

greatly In duration, intensity and yield of Information,

ranging fron anything between a quick half-hour'a ohat, to

intense contact and talk lasting a whole morning or afternoon

or day} from conventional "visitors-conversatlon" to pene­

trating emotional exchange. Whilst African men were generally

only interviewed onoo, I have boon able to have 2 or 3 or even

4 interviews with African women (possibly with one-third) and

with some 1 have maintained contact all along*

Seedless /

* M « i l

Seedless to say, most of tha available time had to ba

spent in building: up suoh ccntaote and finding unobtrueive way*

of doing ao. To thia and, I had lunches and dinnera mid tea*

with the woman, 1 took them for drives, wad gave them "lifts".

I helped the* entertain their guests, Z showed them how to

make Hollands coffee, I eewed with th*m, and even one* painted

th* walls of a room with them. Xn all this the search was for

ways and means to replace the lack of "living with them", which

ia not posaible in the race relations situation, yet la India-

pensibl* for a profound understanding* the b*st substitutes

for this are, in my experience, gating togather and worklag

together* Through a common activity, on* forgets to watch

one's words and conversation flow* more freely. That ia th*

mason why driving together in a car has also been found an

*xc*ll*nt basis for talking*

Apart from suoh environmental factors, which one gradually

has to discover and learn how to crest*, th* very best baai*

for creating the right mood ie laughing together or orxiM

togethert both of which, the former fortunately far mor* oft*n

than the latter, hare been experienced. African women hav* a

keen s*ns* of humour and sn easy laugh* And there 1* nothing

like a good burst of laughter to make everybody feel at ease.

Discussions of rao* relations have not been found helpful.

They do not help to overoom* the subtle uneasiness of Sure p*an-

African relations created through the aooial colour bar*

laturally, suoh "colour bar" talks war* nsoesaary, and arose

involuntarily, aa they always do between blank and whit*. But

the, are obstaoles to the feeling of "togs theme oe" which was

tha main aim of this contact. % own experience ia possibly

not generally applicable, but it must be mentioned that, at

first, one ie inclined to make it quite clear that one is on

ths Afrioan side, and a "good" European, possibly ss a reaction

to one’s own feeling of guilts Later, one leame that thie

should be simply ths unstated presupposition of one’s contact,

and any overt or concealed etatemant to that effect is only

harmful since it draws into consciousness what should be for­

gotten.

The main basis of inter-r&oial content is certainly that

both parties should succeed in forgetting that It jj. inter-

raoial* The women want to forget it# It i* one of th*

foremost psychological needst for one blessed moment to b*

able / • *.*

able -to forget that I an black.”. ^ '

It has throughout boon found mora fruitful to lot the

personality first work in on one, during an inaugural and

non-committal chat* In whioh one has to do most of the talking.

One must first ssnss the woman's own private strains and

atreesee, her own personal emphasis* bias and interests. It

is essential to observe her reactions in general and to the

visitor in particular* to sias up whioh problems and topics

can bo discussed with any hope of affording significant

informationi because the questions on whioh her opinion is

sought must havs a personal meaning to her* that is* thsy

oust fall within her field of experience. But* her sxpressed

opinions are usually ths least important thing about her*

beoauss it ia the things whioh shs takes for grantsd, whioh

she dose not say* precisely because they are ao ouch hors

and ths neoeeeary presupposition of anything she says* which

reveal her and which reveal her society.

For this reaaon* the uaolioited statement* ths

involuntary oxlsmation* a sudden association of idsaa* or a

jump in the logical order of an argument* or a shrug of the

shoulders* are more important than the explioit verbal statement

(which does not later facilitate the convincing presentation of

one’a Impressions})

At first* some books on the technique of interviewing

were perused, sinoe the investigator was new to the job. Sot

much was applicable* since all dealt with interviews between

persons belonging to the name ethnic group. Tot one thing was

learned* namely* that an interview must be aa much for the benefit

of the interviewer as for that of the interviewee. This has been

attempted throughout* not just a queotion-and-answer conversation*

hut a real exchange of ideas. Hence* this report is full of such

sentenoss as < *1 have only had occasion to discuss this with

one or two or three persone". There is a grsat difference

in sincerity* in depth* in value* between anewere given to

questions just shot off one after the other* end answers to

questions which are allowed to ariee naturally in a

conversation. In ths latter case* a few more layers of

consolousnoes havs been peeled off* and a few more hastiout of

human / • • « . .

(l) It appears* as an overall impression* that this is one of ths main reasons for the fact that "women are not jet politically conscious"* which holds good even for very evolved women. M1 do not want to hear all those horrible things* it makes ms feel uncom- for table’", ie the typical woman's reaction. Shs wants to bs happy sad live a normal life. And as long as shs osn somehow achieve a little corner of her own in a dangerous and unhappy world* a heme, a good husband* and enough money to educate the children* she will, she must try to forget . . . iucfa people* who see to it that "life goes one", while others do the fighting, are very necessary.

£SfiSL_g£

human self defence have fallan, and thara la a chance that

one ia a little nearer to tha core. In trying to give and

net only take, to tell things and not only to ask things,

there way he a chance that one atarta tha women thinking about

thinga she has never expressed before. Preoieely thla la a

great need for African women, and It haa often been aqr pleasure

to see a personality blossom out in front of ate. To be

lletened to with full attention and rsspeet for her person

Is a great thing for an African wots an. The siapls outpouring

of her troubles, brine* not only relief, but aometiaee helps

her see a way out, or gat courage to undertake a02athing.

Thla in iteeIf waa valuable information, in the way thia report

haa been conceived* Sometimes, howsvsr, one starte a prooeea

of uncovering of experiences further back ia tine or deeper

down, when the expreseion of theee brings no relief* and with

whioh neither interviewer nor interviewee oan cope* One haa

asrsly increased unbalance and anxieties* The only way out of

such aituationa due to Inexperience, waa found to be the

African way 1 "to throw a party", to go out quickly and buy

lota of cakes, and becoma gay and convivial.

In mg preliminary report I mentioned the difference

between msn and woawm as interviewees, In so far aa men have

a greater capacity for generalieation end are sore articulate

than women* Without denying the truth of thie, subsequent

experience haa ehown that it ia preeieely thie whioh aakee nan

leas important aa inforoanta.

Thia appllee also, but ot a far greater degree, to the

highly educated informant* euch aa the unlvereity graduate, the

3*A* Aa eoon aa they become "educated", end apoolally "higher

educated", their living contact with their own culture patterns

is broken, to b o s s extent involuntarily and to sorae extent

intentionally* A screen of Suropean-taught and Suropean-iapoeed

thought cliches, end verbaliaatione of and about their own culture

has been super-imposed on thsir own Afrlesn aelf* And in talking

with a European or ana we ring his quaetions, it ia as if they are

reeding ths words and ideas written on thia ecroon* Moreover, they

are apt to mialead one as to the extent and nature of their oan

"fteetemleatlon" and that of the majority of their own people,

partly due to shame and partly due to reaentmsnt* This charac-

teriatio, however understandable and forgivable, detracts from

ths knowledge and information that la eought*

As sgainat men, women are extremely good eouroea of

Information /* * •« •

information and as against tha university graduate, the semi-

eduoated woman ie the beet source of all* Gradually, during

this enquiry, it has been the semi-educated woman who has been

relied on more and more as informant* From her as basis,

quantitatively and qualitatively, one can then "reconstruct”

the uneducated aa well as the highly educated*

Interpretation then becomes the great and over-riding

difficulty, and with a particular person this must proceed

by weighing the relative importance of the various basic

factors which influence her. In order to decrease as much

as possible the subjective element which enters through this,

certain precautionary measures were adopted.

firstly, verbatim recordings of all interviews were

typed out immediately after the interview, and ad hoc inter­

pretations were kept separate from verbal statements. This

time-taking procedure has paid good dividends. Often a statement

which at the time seemed unintelligible or unimportant became, in

the light of subsequent information, understandable and significant.

Patterns emerged from previously disconnected facts. Sometimes

an early interpretation had to be altered at a later stags*

Secondly, it new becousas necessary to state clearly and

fully the fundamental factors concerning Afrioan people from

which the material for explanation and interpretation has

been drawn* so that given these aouroea of interpretation,

the reader can see the mechanism which has been operative*

Originally, the attempt was made to arrive at a quantitative

msasure for tha value of opinions, sinos naturally these vary

vidsly according to the speaker's gsnsral intslligsnos, experience,

sincerity, impartiality, specialisation on ths particular subjsct,

etc. This, however, was found impractioabls and the allotment

of "points" also finally a matter of pereonal judgment. But

naturally these factore have throughout determined the signi­

ficance attached t© the opinions received. The opinions which

have received most attention have been those coming fron academi­

cally trained persons in one or another of the relevant sciences

(anthropology, eociology and psychology), intelligent and

experienced missionaries, school principals, matrons of hospitals,

and other Europeans in daily contact with Africans* Opinions of

Africans have been, generally, taken into consideration only if

the subjects to whicu thsy referred were a matter of personal

experience and knowledge*

sitfa /,

With very few exceptions, whic j are usually explicitly

mentioned, no single opinion hae been considered. On any

subject whioh seemed interesting or important, multiple

opinions have been sought and generally obtained* But with

the tremendous number and variety of subjeots which seemed

relevant to the large field of enquiry, it has hardly ever

been possible to collect a representative quantity of opinions

on one and the same subject, though I was generally satisfied

as to their quality*

The opinions of the normal average type of African woman

interviewed had to be divided into two main typesi those

which were of value because the., were the opinion of an African

woman, whioh then came rather to be classified as "attitude"|

and those which could be deemed to have factual value, because

they might contain a statement about a true situation* To

arrive at facts concerning concrete situations is, of course,

a very real difficulty. Here is not meant the practical

impossibility of obtaining reliable figures or dates. Anyons

dealing with African women had, in my experience, better not

spend too much time on this point. And it is not of suoh

great importance after all* What is meant is the very real

difficulty of obtaining reliable descriptions of events, or

merely an exact answer to suoh a question as > "who were there?"

If a factual situation has to be investigated, then an

elaborate system of checking and cross-checking becomes

neoessary, and even then one is never quite sure whether one

has not get hold of the wrong end of the stick. For instance,

the facta may all have been thus, but even then, one may have

combined them differently*

Here the value of participation in activitiee becomes

manifest*

Maws interviewing was sometimes tried by or imposed upon

me* On the whole, however, its value ia limited, since all speakers

tend to agree with the first speaker. What was of real help,

however, was group discussion« and this was frequently sought

or contrived through the medium of tea parties and ths like*

Considering all this, it siust be obvious that questionnaires

could not be used* Firstly, the interviewees were too different,

it would have necessitated too many different questionnaires.

Generally, certain questions relevant to the particular

organisation or other aotlvities known beforehand were kept in

mind, but in most oases not even half of these could be dealt

with /,

L*&l M

with. Subeequent interviews; with tha same parson, or a

different person in tha same general context, could fill

gaps, and if not, gaps just had to stay gaps. Secondly,

the number of subjects which gradually came to ha aeen aa

relevant to the purpose of this investigation, was practically

unlimited, since they covered the whole field of human and

feminine endeavour. Further, seemingly irrelevant factors

often later threw unexpected sidelights on sn Important point,

or corroborated a suggestion.

At first the very real difficulty was to know what

aspeots of an African women'a organisation had to be known in

order to understand it fully .'1 '' But gradually I succeeded

in building up a general frame of reference with certain ealient

points so that one could get at the main features in a minimum

of questions. If this organisational frame of reference (only

valid for African women's organisations) were known, it would

raise a amiIs!

Here also* participation in activities was indispensable.

The use of a questionnaire (though an open-ended one) for

the investigation into ths naads of the nurses at Baragwanath

Hospital taught as how much easier it ia to work with a

questionnaire, and to concentrate on the more direct information

thus obtained. And, it must be said, I bitterly regretted the

much more diffioult task which I set myself, unsuspectingly, by

simply making up my mind that ths way I subsequently followed

was the more useful one. For the information whioh 1 regarded

as essential could not be obtained by means of a questionnaire.

The personal uncertainty which surrounds information obtained

and expressed without qusntitative confirmation is vexing indeed*.

The use of "informants" or "interpreters" has, on ths whole,

remained limited in the aenae sat forth in my interim report,

with the one additions that at a later stage some were used to

cheek up facts. But ths type of Information I wanted could

uaually not be obtained through intermediaries and Africans.

An example may explain what may seem strange.

At a / • • • » • •

(l) There ie a difference between the questions that have to be asksd about an organisation, of course, depending on whether the investigation is quantitative or qualitative, but aleo on whether the organisers ars African or European.

Collection Number: AD1715

SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF RACE RELATIONS (SAIRR), 1892-1974

PUBLISHER: Collection Funder:- Atlantic Philanthropies Foundation

Publisher:- Historical Papers Research Archive

Location:- Johannesburg

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