11/06/2026
Identity at work: how occupational demographics shape employment quality in South Africa
Talk by Odile Mackett (Associate professor in the Department of Anthropology and Development Studies at the University of Johannesburg and economist by training) at IFSO / UDE on Wednesday, June 24, 4:15 pm, LE 104 (Campus Duisburg). All welcome!
Abstract:
This study examines the complex interplay between individual identity and structural inequality in shaping employment quality in the South African labour market. Using nationally representative labour force data and an Employment Quality Index (EQI), the analysis explores how both individual characteristics and the demographic composition of occupation groups—particularly the representation of African women—is associated with job quality. The findings show that over-representation of African women within an occupation group is associated with lower employment quality for all workers, while more evenly gender-distributed occupation groups yield better outcomes across the board. The results underscore the need to distinguish between individual and structural interventions in policy design and caution against treating women as a homogenous category. This work contributes to intersectional and stratification economics literature by showing how structural discrimination persists through occupational sorting and how it affects both subordinate and privileged group members.
