ABSTRACT
The political conquest of South Africa by the Europeans, accompanied by missionary effort, education, administrative aƸtion, and above all by the introduƸtion of a new economic system, have differentiated the natives to such an extent that it is no longer possible to generalize about their habits and charaƸteristics as a whole. Some are living a life not far removed from what it was under purely native conditions. Others have changed very considerably indeed. They have become divorced from tribal rule and tradition, and approximate to the Europeans in standards of life, occupations, and outlook. Between these two extremes are the great majority, who retain many of their old cultural charaƸteristics while participating to an increasing extent in the new civilization. Any attempt to deal with these different classes as a unity is doomed to failure. We must realize their separate existence, and approach the particular problems they each present with no illusions that there is a uniform native question.
