Book contents
- The Cambridge Handbook of the Global Work–Family Interface
- The Cambridge Handbook of the Global Work–Family Interface
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Contributors
- Part I Overview
- Part II Assessing Cultural and Structural Differences
- Part III Methodological Considerations
- Part IV Review of Research in Regions across the Globe
- Part V Cultures within Cultures
- 22 A Cultures within Culture Perspective on Work and Family among United States Employees
- 23 Cultures within Cultures in Israel: Jewish and Arab Cultures and the Work–Family Interface
- 24 Modernity Meets Tradition: Managing the Work–Family Interface in South Africa
- 25 Work and Family among Immigrants
- 26 Expatriation and the Work–Family Interface
- Part VI Organizational Perspectives
- Part VII Family Perspectives
- Part VIII Individual Perspectives
- Part IX Conclusion
- Index
- References
24 - Modernity Meets Tradition: Managing the Work–Family Interface in South Africa
from Part V - Cultures within Cultures
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 16 April 2018
Book contents
- The Cambridge Handbook of the Global Work–Family Interface
- The Cambridge Handbook of the Global Work–Family Interface
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Contributors
- Part I Overview
- Part II Assessing Cultural and Structural Differences
- Part III Methodological Considerations
- Part IV Review of Research in Regions across the Globe
- Part V Cultures within Cultures
- 22 A Cultures within Culture Perspective on Work and Family among United States Employees
- 23 Cultures within Cultures in Israel: Jewish and Arab Cultures and the Work–Family Interface
- 24 Modernity Meets Tradition: Managing the Work–Family Interface in South Africa
- 25 Work and Family among Immigrants
- 26 Expatriation and the Work–Family Interface
- Part VI Organizational Perspectives
- Part VII Family Perspectives
- Part VIII Individual Perspectives
- Part IX Conclusion
- Index
- References
Summary
South Africa is traditionally viewed as being deeply divided along racial lines. However, closer inspection reveals that this is too simplistic a treatment of a complex reality—differences arise more along cultural lines than racial ones. In fact, many linguistic and ethnic groups who share common historical and geographic heritages exist within the country. As a result, a cultures within culture approach is instructive when describing the work-family interface in South Africa. We begin by exploring South African notions of family, care, and dependency across African (e.g., Zulu, Xhosa, Tswana, Swati, Sotho, Venda, Tsonga and Ndebele), Coloured, and White cultural groups, and our analysis reveals that family role obligations related to birth, death, coming-of-age, illness and marriage differ across these cultural groups. This is closely tied to how cultures conceptualize dependents, burden of care, and role expectations and has implications for the work-family interface.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Cambridge Handbook of the Global Work–Family Interface , pp. 436 - 453Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2018
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