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Poverty and Physical Well-being among the Coloured Population in South Africa

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  • Kris Inwood
  • Oliver Masakure

Abstract

We review the social construction of race and the experience of relative poverty and ill-health among South Africa's Coloured population. We argue that childhood deprivation among Coloureds and race-based inequality in physical well-being, which is still visible today, began at least as early as the 1870s. The historical literature points to differences in morbidity and mortality between Whites and Coloureds before World War Two. New evidence from military reports of stature points to regional, socio-economic and urban influences on physical well-being which differed between Coloureds and Whites. Coloureds were much shorter even after adjusting for potentially confounding influences. The gap in stature changed very little between men born in the 1870s and those born in the 1920s.

Suggested Citation

  • Kris Inwood & Oliver Masakure, 2013. "Poverty and Physical Well-being among the Coloured Population in South Africa," Economic History of Developing Regions, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(2), pages 56-82, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:rehdxx:v:28:y:2013:i:2:p:56-82
    DOI: 10.1080/20780389.2013.866382
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Feinstein,Charles H., 2005. "An Economic History of South Africa," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521616416, September.
    2. Feinstein,Charles H., 2005. "An Economic History of South Africa," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521850919, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Fourie, Johan & Inwood, Kris & Mariotti, Martine, 2022. "Living standards in settler South Africa, 1865–1920," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 47(C).
    2. Jean-Pascal Bassino & Marion Dovis & John Komlos, 2018. "Biological well-being in late nineteenth-century Philippines," Cliometrica, Springer;Cliometric Society (Association Francaise de Cliométrie), vol. 12(1), pages 33-60, January.
    3. Bokang Mpeta & Johan Fourie & Kris Inwood, 2017. "Black living standards in South Africa before democracy: New evidence from heights," Working Papers 670, Economic Research Southern Africa.
    4. Johan Fourie & Martine Mariotti & Kris Inwood, 2018. "Military technology and sample selection bias," Working Papers 03/2018, Stellenbosch University, Department of Economics.
    5. Linares-Luján, Antonio M. & Parejo-Moruno, Francisco M., 2022. "Short men in poor lands: The agrarian workers from southwestern Spain in anthropometric perspective," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 47(C).

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