ABSTRACT
The consequent stratification is important because the lines of social differentiation created cut across the total society, including its individual ethnic components. To the extent that this has the effect of making loyalty to "class" stronger than loyalty to ethnic group, it naturally diminishes the sociological significance of ethnicity as well. There are also increasing numbers of women and girls who, mainly through the general cultural and educational process, have acquired a modern, Westernized conception of women's role. Since men thus continue firmly to control most of the city's social institutions, only a small proportion of women are able on their own to challenge the male position. The South African situation is particularly relevant bcause whereas in most of the other African countries women's main struggle is against traditionalism, in South Africa it is apartheid that the women regard as mainly responsible for their subordination.
