This chapter compares lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) rights, politics and workplace inclusion in South Africa (SA) and the USA. We explore the histories, backgrounds and legal landscapes of LGBTQ rights, and highlight relevant trends and current issues pertaining to LGBTQ issues in the two countries. We utilize Reynaud’s theory of social regulation (1979) to analyze social regulation involved in LGBTQ equal opportunities and inclusion, in historical, current coalitions and political debates in the two countries. We conclude that SA has a higher level of national control regulation than the USA, with more laws of national scope in place creating a broad pattern of progressive legislation towards LGBTQ equality. Regarding the autonomous societal rules activated spontaneously by actors, we conclude that the USA has taken the lead over SA in the relatively widespread acceptance of LGBTQ people in American society and in broad voluntary employer action. We found there is no straight line of progress in advancing LGBTQ rights, in either the USA or SA. We recommend that SA should build stronger cooperative ties beyond Africa to increase gay and lesbian social acceptance and to prevent anti-gay and lesbian violence. In the USA more formal regulation at the federal level is needed, where federal law addresses full LGBTQ rights and where federal court decisions affirm rights to constitutional equal protection in all arenas of life.
Search Results
Lize A.E. Booysen and Heather Wishik
Handbook Chapter
In Research Handbook of International and Comparative Perspectives on Diversity Management
Edited by Alain Klarsfeld, Eddy S. Ng, Lize A.E. Booysen, Liza Castro Christiansen and Bård Kuvaas
- Published:
- 28 October 2016
Lize A.E. Booysen and Stella M. Nkomo
Handbook Chapter
In International Handbook on Diversity Management at Work
Edited by Alain Klarsfeld, Lize A.E. Booysen, Eddy Ng, Ian Roper and Ahu Tatli
- Published:
- 30 May 2014
Handbook Chapter
In Handbook of Research Methods in Diversity Management, Equality and Inclusion at Work
Edited by Lize A.E. Booysen, Regine Bendl and Judith K. Pringle
- Published:
- 31 August 2018
Lize A.E. Booysen, Judith K. Pringle and Regine Bendl
This chapter introduces the purpose, audience, structure and content of the 22 chapter edited volume, Handbook of Research Methods on Diversity Management, Equality and Inclusion at Work. It gives a short overview of EDI research and discourses, and concludes that common qualitative and quantitative research approaches fall far short of addressing the challenges of EDI research and have to be re-visited and even reinvented to further explain the complex processes of EDI. This Handbook addresses the aforementioned gap, represents the distillation of knowledge of the empirical EDI discourse and aims to become a benchmark volume that synthesises existing EDI literature, helping to define and shape the present and future EDI research and discourse. This Handbook is organised into three parts, ‘Part I Research dilemmas in EDI’, ‘Part II Methodology and methods for collecting EDI material’ and ‘Part III Methods and techniques for EDI data analysis’.
Handbook Chapter
In Handbook of Research Methods in Diversity Management, Equality and Inclusion at Work
Edited by Lize A.E. Booysen, Regine Bendl and Judith K. Pringle
- Published:
- 31 August 2018
Judith K. Pringle and Lize A.E. Booysen
This chapter gives a short historical review of research methods including a discussion of ontology (science of the nature of truth), epistemology (science of knowing), axiology (science of the nature of value and ethics) and methodology (science of research methods). Other definitional issues such as research approaches, paradigms, methods and techniques are clarified and defined. Rather than focusing on the artificial distinction between quantitative and qualitative research approaches, this chapter uses research paradigms as the organising principle. To that effect it gives a cursory overview of the major research paradigms, namely, positivist and post positivist, interpretivist/constructivist, post-structuralist/postmodern and critical/radical/transformative paradigms, emerging paradigms, such as Kaupapa M_ori, plus some pragmatic paradigm mixing possibilities. The applicability of each of these research paradigms for EDI research is discussed, followed by the way forward for EDI research, which sets the stage for the rest of the chapters.
Handbook Chapter
In Handbook of Research Methods in Diversity Management, Equality and Inclusion at Work
Edited by Lize A.E. Booysen, Regine Bendl and Judith K. Pringle
- Published:
- 31 August 2018
Edited by Lize A.E. Booysen, Regine Bendl and Judith K. Pringle
Lize A.E. Booysen, Gwendolyn Combs and Waheeda Lillevik
This chapter compares workplace equality legislation regarding marginalized groups, such as women, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ identity and racial/ethnic populations in Brazil, South Africa and the USA. It also contrasts these policies against each nation’s historical, social, political and legal contexts, and outlines future directions. These three countries share similar historical experiences in the positioning of power differentials between ruling classes, indigenous groups and those subjugated to legacies of inequality. In Brazil and the US the legacy of slavery endures, and in South Africa the vestiges of apartheid remains. All three countries still battle the influences of these measures on equity, diversity and inclusion of racial/ethnic and gender groups, and continue to struggle with the outcomes of everyday experiences of equality. Legislation aimed at anti-discrimination, promoting gender equality, disability and racial ethnic diversity varies between the countries, but is in existence. The concept of affirmative action is employed in each country in varying forms. Brazil imposes specific quotas for the employment of the disabled and women in certain areas. South Africa also has established quotas in the employment and training of designated groups – blacks, coloreds, Indians, women and the disabled – and in ownership, shareholding. Conversely, in the USA, affirmative action is used as a mechanism for achieving equality for racial/ethnic minorities, women and persons with disabilities, and quota systems are considered unconstitutional.
Handbook Chapter
In Research Handbook of International and Comparative Perspectives on Diversity Management
Edited by Alain Klarsfeld, Eddy S. Ng, Lize A.E. Booysen, Liza Castro Christiansen and Bård Kuvaas
- Published:
- 28 October 2016
Lize A.E. Booysen and Stella M. Nkomo
Handbook Chapter
In International Handbook on Diversity Management at Work
Edited by Alain Klarsfeld
- Published in print:
- 30 Jul 2010
Alain Klarsfeld, Lize A.E. Booysen, Eddy Ng, Ian Roper and Ahu Tatli
Handbook Chapter
In International Handbook on Diversity Management at Work
Edited by Alain Klarsfeld, Lize A.E. Booysen, Eddy Ng, Ian Roper and Ahu Tatli
- Published:
- 30 May 2014