Research Explores the Need for Social Renewal in South Africa

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Curiosity about the social hierarchy which seems to govern inter-group relations in South Africa is what motivated PhD in Economics graduate Dr Gerard Boyce to research the “Relationship between Perceptions of Racial Identity, Hope and Young People’s Educational Aspirations in the country”.

Boyce considers getting a PhD a bonus for pursuing his research interest, the results of which he aims to use in a hope-building  and environmental initiative he plans to establish while studying for his post-doctoral degree at UKZN.

‘I investigated whether hope levels and one’s perceptions of one’s racial identity were related to career expectations and a series of preferences /attitudes which have been found to affect economic decision-making,’ said Boyce.

‘I undertook this research among a sample of young people at schools in South Durban. Somewhat unsurprisingly, I found that these two psychological variables were related to a number of attitudes. I believe that social and environmental renewal are natural counterparts and that environmental renewal can serve as a metaphor for the social renewal that needs to take place in South Africa.’

Since he gave up his research job to study fulltime, Boyce says he does not have the pressure of juggling work and his studies. However, he did face personal challenges as his mother died during the first year of his studies but his motivation to set a good example for his son kept him going.

‘I'm a single father and my greatest motivation is to be a good father. I know my sister’s really proud of me and my son wonders why I’m not a “real doctor”. I would like to acknowledge the supportive role my supervisor, Professor Geoff Harris, played throughout my thesis. It was a truly introspective experience and led me to search myself and to evaluate why I wanted this qualification and what I wanted out of life in general,’ he said.

-           Thandiwe Jumo