Subjektiewe belewenis van privaatheid in die informele-woonhuisontwerp onder Tswanasprekendes in die Noordwes Provinsie

Abstract

The informal housing situation is part of the housing problem in South Africa which was partially caused by the abolishment of the Group Areas Act and the Influx Control Act which contributed to rapid urbanisation and the establishment of informal settlements. To alleviate the housing backlog, the government has undertaken to erect 1 000 000 formal houses by 1999. While this process is being undertaken, many residents are still housed in informal houses in the North West Province. Research on the living conditions of the residents of informal houses is extremely limited. Furthermore, virtually no research has been done in South Africa on privacy behaviour with regard to housing design of the Tswana speaking residents of the North West Province. The aim of this study was to (a) compile a biographical profile of the residents of informal houses; (b) compile a profile of the design of informal houses; (c) determine the experience of privacy in informal houses with regard to certain privacy scenario's and (d) determine the profile of future housing design for privacy. In order to achieve the objectives, a descriptive study was undertaken using 100 homogeneous informal houses in Extension One of Boikutsu in Lichtenburg in the North West Province. The informal houses were selected by means of a non-randomised, non-proportional, stratified sampling method. Two structured questionnaires were developed concerning privacy and housing design. Field workers and co-field workers were responsible for the data collection. A floor plan of the informal house was also compiled, after which four housing categories were identified. Before the actual study took place two pilot studies were conducted. Data were analysed by means of two-way frequency tables and Chi-square tests.

It was found that the nature of the informal household is partly responsible for the respondents' housing situation in the North West Province. Results also indicate that the structural nature of the construction material, the design of the floor plan and also the size and quantity of rooms per house may influence privacy. The response to questions on the experience of privacy by residents of informal houses indicates that cultural factors may also influence this psycho-ecological phenomena. It was also found that the spatial nature of the housing environment does not accommodate privacy behaviour, which causes respondents to use other privacy mechanisms. Although the informal housing design consists of the three Western zone components, namely the private, social and work zones, which could accommodate privacy, it was found that these components do not function effectively. The lack of spatial design in the informal house may have an effect on the experience of privacy by the residents. This was especially found in the smallest housing category. The research results indicate that future housing design should include spatial and structural changes to accommodate privacy. This should improve the personal experience of privacy. The changed spatial environment should also accommodate privacy more effectively.