The Making of a Good White - E-thesis - Helsinki.fi

“It is said that Mrs. H. is addicted to alcohol. On several occasions she
has run into the street and drawn attention to herself by behaving in an
improper manner. On occasion she uses very bad language and makes
as much noise as possible by knocking things about in her room and in
the passage.” (CHL, SWR: 1946.)
In contrast to the masculinity of public spaces and femininity of private
spaces, the semi-public garden spaces represented a zone where both the
feminine and the masculine were able to conjoin and demonstrate their
best talents. A lovely garden and a neat house were symbols of successful
whiteness, and of an internalised work ethic. Gardens gave men a chance
to show how hard and persistently they could work to make the sandy soil
of the Cape Flats bloom, while women had an opportunity to show their
aesthetic sophistication in the planning of the flower beds, and moneysaving
skills in the clever planting of suitable vegetables.
These gardens became a true source of pride to the residents, and the
yearly garden competitions became popular. In each area adjudicators,
consisting of social workers and experts, chose the most beautiful garden.
According to the Company’s own survey of 1946, 67 per cent of the families
in EGV had a “well kept garden”. 137
To this day elderly ladies in the suburb in particular regard having a
lovely garden as a matter of honour, and men can get quite enthusiastic
when describing their garden projects.
While some families were fervently shaping the appearances of their
homes and their bodies to create good model lives, some began to give
up. There was just no time or energy, no purpose and no point in learning
the complicated bodily techniques and rules of distinction. Since the
connection between maintaining the bodily discipline and the high moral
standards was strong in Epping Garden Village, the increasing presence
of ’fallen’ women and ’work-shy’ men placed more pressure on the rest
of the residents. Emphasising one’s own integrity and well-internalised
rules of embodiment could diminish the stigma of being a poor white.
This tactic was also a tool of distinction, as it showed the degrees of internal
differentiation between residents.
Occasionally this lead to extreme shows of morality as some residents
tactically over-emphasised their roles as good citizens. This in turn fed
137 The social workers had emphasised the need to create ‘civilised’ spaces from the very
beginning. The first social services for municipal housing schemes were provided by the
City Council in 1925 when a prize of £25 was handed out to those Maitland residents who
had the neatest and most attractive houses and gardens (Bosman 1941: 256).
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