Moscow: Institute of Africa of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2007, 174 p. (Tender Research, vol. 7)

The reviewed work is devoted to the study of a very complex and multidimensional process of urbanization of the African population in the Republic of South Africa in the second half of the XX - beginning of the XXI century from the point of view of tender relations. The undoubted merit of the author is the appeal to a poorly studied topic in Russian African studies and the use of the tender approach as a tool for scientific research. Historical realities are considered in the book taking into account the interests of representatives of both sexes as two socio-demographic groups of society. This means that differences in the behavior and perception of men and women are determined not so much by their physiological characteristics, but by social factors: upbringing, education, views, socio-cultural roles.

Understanding the socio-cultural characteristics of tender relations implies the rejection of stereotypes of hierarchy and discrimination and marks a fundamentally new view of the integration of social and personal problems. Today, in the context of globalization, the tender approach to social processes is considered as a factor of political culture.

Gender studies appeared in the world science in the early 1980s of the XX century, and in Russia-only 15 years ago. In this paper, along with the tender approach, an interdisciplinary approach is used, which implies a combination of historical, political, ethno-confessional, sociological and statistical data for the most complete study of such a historical phenomenon as the urbanization of the African population in South Africa in the second half of the XX-beginning of the XXI century. The book is based on a wealth of factual material covering the period from the early years of apartheid to the present. In particular, various government documents and legislative acts of South Africa, as well as the work of South African scientists, are widely presented.

N. V. Grishina's monograph is the first attempt in Russian African studies to give a comprehensive analysis of the process of urbanization in South Africa from the point of view of tender relations. The author aims to convey to readers the socio-economic and socio-psychological consequences of urbanization, which, as in the whole world, is a multidimensional phenomenon. There is a rather long and complex adaptation of a former rural resident to new living conditions, turning him into a city dweller with all the accompanying social, cultural and psychological characteristics. Tender aspects also play an important role in this process, suggesting a change in the traditional roles of men and women when integrating into the value system of modern urban society. In the monograph, women's socio-economic dependence is considered in two dimensions: dependence on men at the family level (microenvironment) and dependence on the state (macroenvironment).

In his research, the author examines the process of urbanization of the African population against the background of political and economic changes that took place in South Africa. The paper fairly fully reflects the issues of migration of the African population as one of the factors of urbanization in South Africa, the problems of adaptation of Africans to urban life, and the sphere of their employment in cities. The main attention is paid to the formation of new tender roles, changing the position of African urban women in the family and society.

Urbanization and the transition of a large part of the African population of South Africa to urban life were accompanied by the transfer of the usual value system to a different environment. At the same time, men still held leading positions in family relations.-

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informal associations of urban Africans that were being formed. Women, by tradition, were given a subordinate role both in the family and at work. However, under the influence of socio-political processes taking place in South African society, the dependent status of African women has noticeably shaken. With the development of urban infrastructure, the importance of women's work increased, and many types of work were performed mainly by African women.

The specifics of employment of Africans in cities were determined primarily by the needs of the white population, which was officially fixed by the laws of apartheid. The so-called color barrier implied restrictions on a number of professions in accordance with a person's race.

A significant part of the monograph is devoted to the study of the transformation of the traditional African family in the conditions of a modern city. Over time, nuclear families consisting of parents and their children began to predominate here, in contrast to large traditional families that included several generations of blood relatives. Often there were families headed by a woman who was forced to take care of the maintenance of all family members. In urban settings, the traditional rites of bride purchase and the rules of age and tender subordination were no longer always and fully observed. These trends indicated significant changes in the usual lifestyle, employment areas, and the emergence of new life attitudes for both men and women. The synthesis of multidirectional factors of influence of the city had a largely positive impact on the formation of the personality of African women, their desire for independence and self-realization.

However, according to the author, when considering the inclusion of African women in modern socio-political processes, it is necessary to take into account that the emancipation of African women is quite long and complex; it cannot be determined by the chronological framework of the existence and abolition of apartheid. A single Government act to eliminate previous discriminatory laws is not enough to create tender parity in South African society. The position of a black woman in the post-apartheid space of South Africa cannot be assessed unambiguously, since her status is largely determined not so much by constitutional rights as by the traditions and customs of a particular ethnic group.

Studying the period of post-apartheid development of the country, the author concludes that there were no significant positive changes in the field of tender relations among urban Africans. This is primarily due to the fact that huge masses of them lived below the poverty line for many decades and the abolition of apartheid "from above" could not mean the automatic inclusion of the black population in the life of the country and the solution of their many problems.

A valuable addition to N. V. Grishina's research is the field research conducted by her during a research trip to South Africa. They contain interesting generalizations of the opinions of Africans themselves-urbanites, men and women of different ages, social and property status-about the relationship between the sexes in the modern city, about the role of women in the public life of their country. The monograph contains an appendix containing materials and resolutions of international conferences of various years on racism and apartheid in South Africa against women, as well as events held in recent years under the auspices of the ANC. The full text of the 1954 Women's Charter, translated into Russian, is presented for the first time.

The author of the monograph comes to the conclusion that the urbanization of the African population in South Africa in the second half of the XX - beginning of the XXI century contributed to significant transformations in traditional gender relations and the emergence of qualitatively new relationships between men and women, although this process was quite complex and ambiguous. After the collapse of apartheid and the rise of the democratic leadership, the possibility of African women's participation in the country's political life has increased (currently they make up more than 30% in Parliament and Government), as well as in business, science and culture.

Despite the obvious advantages, the work has some disadvantages. Thus, the author does not fully cover the research of modern South African scientists on this topic. I would like to see a more in-depth comparative analysis of various aspects of the life of the African population with other racial groups.

In conclusion, I would like to note that the reviewed monograph is an independent and mature study, characterized by a high scientific level, a serious interdisciplinary approach and a good literary language.

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