An ethnographic study of how financial products and services affect inequalities and conflicts in South Africa
About this Event
The Book Discussion with author Erik Baehre will look at how financial products and services affect inequalities and conflicts in South Africa.
Set in one of the world’s most unequal and violent places, this ethnographic study reveals how insurance companies discovered a vast market of predominantly poor African clients. After apartheid ended in 1994, South Africa became a ‘testing ground’ for new insurance products, new marketing techniques and pioneering administrative models with a potentially global market. Drawing on Rorty’s notion of irony for understanding how the contradictions inherent to solidarity affect inequality and conflict as well as drawing on a vast array of case studies, Ironies of Solidarity examines how both Africans enjoy the freedoms that they have gained in financial terms and how the onset of democracy effected the risks faced in everyday life. Bähre examines the ways in which policies are sold and claims are handled, offering a detailed analysis of South Africa’s insurance sector.
Speakers: Author Erik Baehre (Leiden), Maia Green (Manchester)
Discussant: Christopher Webb (Carleton Univ, Canada)
Chair: Elizabeth Hull (SOAS)
The event is followed by a drink reception and supported by the Southern Africa Seminar Series, University of London
More Camden Listings MORE
Durand Bernarr
Erykah Badu. KAYTRANADA. Anderson .Paak. The Internet. Teedra Moses. They all have one thing in common—they’ve been blessed…
THE BIG DRAW FESTIVAL – ‘DRAWING WITH LIGHT’
At dusk, lit up dancers will parade along the now-pedestrianised Camden High Street onto Hawley Wharf canalside, directed…
Xavier Omär
With a sound shaped by eclectic influences including James Blake, Pharrell, and The 1975, Xavier Omär is a…
Blue Lab Beats
A fully immersive live performance that captures the pulse and soundscape of London. Blue Lab Beats — the…
Masta Ace & Marco Polo
Regarded as one of Brooklyn’s staple figures in the East Coast hip-hop scene, Masta Ace returns to the…
Mychelle
Hackney singer-songwriter Mychelle steps into the spotlight with the release of her debut album Good Day, bringing a…
Roc Marciano
The catalyst behind a seismic shift in hip-hop during the 2010s. With the release of his debut album…
Jay Prince
Born in East London to both Angolan & Congolese parents, Jay’s musical journey ignited in the heart of…