Living Politics in South Africa's Urban Shacklands

Living Politics by Kerry Ryan Chance examines the rise of nationwide protests since the late 1990s by focusing on the actual language and humanity of post-apartheid activists. It analyzes the criminalization of popular forms of politics that were foundational to South Africa's celebrated democratic transition and argues that we can best grasp the increasingly murky line between the criminal and the political with a politics of living that casts slum and state in opposition to one another.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 05 June 2018
Publisher: The University of Chicago Press

While substantial literature exists on post-apartheid social movements in South Africa, the majority of discussions revolve around idealized forms of activism, disregarding the lived experiences and agency of the activists themselves. In his book, Living Politics, Kerry Ryan Chance takes a groundbreaking approach by shifting the focus to the authentic language and humanity of post-apartheid activists. Instead of relying on external, idealistic commentary, Chance delves into the daily practices and interactions between impoverished residents and state agents in South Africa's shack settlements. Through his ethnographic research in Durban, Cape Town, and Johannesburg, Chance explores the emergence of nationwide protests since the late 1990s. Drawing upon his fieldwork, the book analyzes the criminalization of popular forms of politics that played a crucial role in South Africa's celebrated democratic transition. Chance contends that a politics of living, which juxtaposes slum and state, offers the best means to comprehend the increasingly blurred boundary between the criminal and the political. Living Politics unveils how legitimate domains of politics are reimagined, how state sovereignty is forcibly enacted, and how new citizen identities crystallize at the intersections of race, gender, and class. By centering on the lived experiences and agency of post-apartheid activists, Chance's book provides a profound and empathetic understanding of the complex dynamics shaping South Africa's social and political landscape.

Weight: 318g
Dimension: 194 x 228 x 14 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780226519661