Race, Gender, and Distinction in the Transformation of South Africa's Architecture Profession

Abstract

This thesis, titled "Race, Gender, and Distinction in the Transformation of South Africa's Architecture Profession”, critically examines the architectural profession in South Africa from 2000 to 2019, a period marked by significant socio-political change following the end of apartheid. The study corroborates the regulator’s contention that the formal registration of professionals has not kept up with the increasing number of graduates. Moreover, this attrition disproportionately affected women and black^ individuals. This retention-transformation nexus poses a challenge that is (it is argued) untenable in the prevailing context of resource constraints. Grounded in Pierre Bourdieu's theoretical framework, the research considered both race and gender within the profession, employing a mixed-methods approach that combined quantitative data analysis with qualitative insights. The study articulates four key objectives: (i) to delineate the professional pipeline and quantify losses; (ii) to describe the field's structural dynamics; (iii) to explore the development of habitus through personal narratives; and (iv) to synthesise findings to propose initiatives for enhancing retention and transformation. Bourdieu's concepts of field, habitus, and capital were used to formulate a model for distinction to frame the study. The architecture profession was examined as a field, with a complex system of relations among various actors, including individuals, regulatory bodies, educational institutions, and professional associations. The findings indicate that losses accumulated at every inflection point in the professional pipeline, affecting cohorts differently, at different points. Attrition was a significant feature of the profession, resulting in a marked and persistent underrepresentation of women and black^ professionals, particularly in the more prestigious professional categories. The roles of various instruments intended to drive change were reviewed. Data on the professional journeys of architecture professionals were collected using an electronic survey and subsequently recorded and visualised, noting the difference and congruence of the affective dimensions of professional journeys. An analysis was undertaken visualising some typical economic, social, cultural, and symbolic capital exchanges as actors competed and cooperated to gain distinction in the field. The thesis proceeds to tentatively propose recommendations for stakeholders aimed at fostering a more inclusive and responsive architecture profession that reflects the diverse interests of contemporary South African society. The thesis concludes by questioning whether education in architecture is beneficial to individuals and society, even outside the prescripts of registered practice. Attrition and retention in workplaces and in professions have been widely studied, including from perspectives of gender and race, leading scholars to call it a ‘wicked’ problem. This thesis builds on 25 years of prior research conducted on attrition and transformation of the architecture professions in Canada, the United States of America (USA), the United Kingdom (UK), Aotearoa New Zealand, and Australia, in this case in a setting where the professional minority is the demographic majority.