Introduction: social history, Wentworth and life stories

Abstract

A social history from below: Life stories from Wentworth, South Africa, is a collection of edited life story interviews conducted with 25 current and past residents of Wentworth, Durban, that illustrates the social history of this historically ‘çoloured’ township. This history from below documents the formation of the townships in the late 1950s and its history through the life experiences of the 25 residents during various periods. The book illustrates the wide diversity of the members of this black South African community in terms of origin, ancestry, class, educational qualifications, political outlook, self-identification, primary concerns, political activism, contribution to society, social impediments suffered, etc. that refute generalisations made about the ‘race’ to which they belong. The life stories also illustrate the impact of major transformations, such as the advent of democracy, on members of this community.