Environments by Design
Abstract
This paper aims to investigate the conceptual origins of the idea of “model native townships” during the first half of the 20th century in South Africa. Concepts such as Modernism, the British welfare state idea and the “sanitation syndrome” formed the basis of the idea of “ideal or model” housing for the working class. In South Africa in the first half of the 20th century, the concepts of paternalism and segregation, in all their multi-faceted meanings and applications, were held to justify the creation of “ideal” housing on a racial basis. The contextualization of this time-period is of utmost importance to understand and evaluate the actions of politicians and administrators. The ideology of segregation should be evaluated taking the nuances of the policy and the internal conflict between liberal and conservative segregationists into consideration. The broader Zeitgeist of Modernism and the resulting social engineering to ensure that the “modern man” lives and acts within specific guidelines are investigated to ensure a better and well-rounded understanding of the South African context. The place of visualisation in the understanding of abstract and complicated concepts and contexts are illustrated through images, diagrams, and the so-called dynamic knowledge maps. A single still image with a few well-chosen words is often more effective than a long verbal description. I will argue that visual illustrations, mind or knowledge maps and diagrams should support written work and will enhance the understanding of complex and multi-faceted concepts and contexts.
Karina Sevenhuysen is a lecturer in the Department of Historical and Heritage Studies at the University of Pretoria. The author’s research focuses on black urbanisation, black housing and the creation of infrastructure in black townships prior to WWII in South Africa. She is especially interested in the ideologies and philosophies that shaped policies, legislation, and the practical implementation of these in black townships. The use of visual elements and GIS applications to understand these aspects better are part of her research tools. Her current doctoral research focuses on the establishment and layout of Atteridgeville (in Pretoria, in the Gauteng Province of South Africa) as a so-called “model native township” between 1935 and 1948. Her teaching focuses on Heritage and Cultural Tourism, especially tourism and representation, and research methodologies in Heritage and Cultural Tourism as well as twentieth-century South African history. Her two latest publications were co-authored with Michelle de la Harpe, namely ‘The experience of the tourist in a technologically-driven age: A continuum between the tourist guide and technology’, in Journal of Tourismology of January 2019, pp. 129-142 and ‘New technologies in the field of tourist guiding: Threat or tool?’, in Journal of Tourismology of January 2020, pp. 13-33.