Monday, May 7, 2007

Geoff Waters

Geoff Waters
Geoff Waters used to teach Sociology at UKZN and is now retired.

In his chapter, Down But Not Out in Central Durban: ‘Streetwisdom’ and survival in a post-apartheid Inner City, Geoff reports on an ethnographic study he conducted in 2001 on homelessness in Durban. He provides powerful accounts of the identities and experiences of poor adults trying to make ends meet. He notes the kinds of streetwise cultures they develop which enable them to cope with poverty. He asks whether these culures institutionalise their poverty and restrain them or whether they ‘provide them with a basis for self improvement and upward mobility.’ Geoff also examines some of the hostel facilities available to homeless people in Durban. His piece is self reflective, raising important issues about ethnography. His paper also develops some of the implications of his research for city planners.

Reference:
Water, Geoff. 'Down But Not Out in Central Durban: ‘Streetwisdom’ and survival in a post-apartheid Inner City', in Rob Pattman and Sultan Khan (Eds.), Undressing Durban (Durban: Madiba Press, 2007), pp. 195-212.