The moral ecology of South Africa's township youth

by Sharlene Swartz

This study focuses on how 14-20-year-old black young people living in a context of pervasive poverty in a South African township comprehend the notion of morality, and how these constructions are useful in understanding their moral formation. The Moral Ecology of South Africa's Township Youth is an engaging account of the moral lives of young black South Africans once the struggle against Apartheid ended and removed their object of political resistance. It shows how partial-parenting, partial-schooling, and pervasive poverty contributes to a young adult's sense of right and wrong and what rules govern their behaviour.