This seminar discusses the historical roots of the health and population situation in South Africa. It also compares South Africa with the situation elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa and in other developing countries. In addition, parallels with China and countries in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union who are in the process of transition from state socialism are discussed. Hopefully the complexity of the situation in South Africa will be understood as well as the kinds of choices that need to be made as South Africa faces the future.

This course counts toward the Health and Aging sub-concentration.

Throughout much of South African history, the indigenous African and other non-white populations were restricted in where they were allowed to live and work. This condition became more pronounced after the 1948 election that was won by the Afrikaner National Party. Following this election the system of apartheid was introduced that made social control more stringent. During the 1980’s there was a weakening in the enforcement of apartheid rules. Many of these and other restrictions under apartheid were repealed in the early 1990’s.

In 1994, a national government of unity was formed to prepare the way for a new South Africa in which participation in political and economic life was open to all individuals regardless of race. The first non-racial elections were held in 1994 and the African National Congress won a clear majority. For the first time since the arrival of Europeans some 400 years earlier, the government of South Africa was controlled by the majority African population.

South Africa presents many interesting and challenging contrasts. It has the best economy in Africa. The white and Asian populations have low infant death rates and health comparable to that in developed countries. In a sense South Africa is two societies, a first world (or developed country) society consisting of whites and Asians and a third world (or developing country) society consisting of the African and Coloured populations. Although the African population of South Africa has higher education and better health overall than Africans elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa, they nonetheless generally share the developing country characteristics and problems found elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa, including health concerns, such as tuberculosis and malaria, along with increasing concerns with HIV/AIDS. They also have problems with conditions of life such as unsafe drinking water and poor sanitation that contribute to many health problems. Along with many countries experiencing social and economic transitions, economic inequality, the gap between the best-off and the worst-off part of the population, is large and widening.

Although there will be lectures, student participation and presentations are crucial to the course. Each student will write a major paper that will be presented to the seminar. The seminar aims to encourage critical thinking and discussion. The purpose of the seminar is not mainly that the students will have mastered a large amount of factual information, but that students will understand the different perspectives relevant to the topics discussed and will have a good basis for thinking and forming opinions about a large number of issues of scientific and policy significance.