UWC Scholar Publishing Support (University of the Western Cape)
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Lessons for South Africa: China during the era of ‘reform and opening up’
Get PDFChina’s four decades of spectacular economic growth may now be slowing down, but the lessons for South Africa – with its own development challenges – remain important. DOUGLAS IAN SCOTT argues South Africa should re-orientate its relationship with China so as to learn from, and recreate, the successes of China’s “reform and opening up” era
40 years of shop floor resistance: Racial ordering and history of militant culture
Get PDFBased on four decades of ethnographic research into growing workplace resistance and militancy in the 1980s and 1990s at a Durban rubber factory, SITHEMBISO BHENGU adds his own study of the factory workers – their struggles, identities and everyday lives – more than a decade into democracy. In piecing together their narratives over a span of four decades, he identifies the clear continuities in the objective conditions workers live and work in, as well as in their subjective consciousness, and also the significant discontinuities between the two critical eras of worker formations and struggle in South Africa
Thirty year Africa Diary for 2024: Ten African countries, plus Rwanda
No full textNew Agenda Number 93 (June 2024) focuses on South Africa and its 30 years of Democracy – but there is a need to recognize Africa beyond the normal 3-month ‘diary of events’.
While South Africa has been trying to find the way to make democracy work to address the key national challenges of unemployment and inequality, other countries in Africa have often fared worse. We look at the ten African countries with the highest populations – and Rwanda – to provide a comparative perspectiv
Reparative futurities: South African food production and the climate crisis
Get PDFThe industrialised food system has both contributed to and will in turn be affected by the climate crisis. In South Africa, as is true globally, the way in which food production has intersected with processes of industrialisation and the green revolution has not only shaped how we relate to food production, but to nature more fundamentally. MATTHEW WINGFIELD explores the emergent possibilities of reimagining and reconstituting how food is produced, based on his case study situated in an agricultural zone on the outskirts of Cape Town called Philippi. It explores alternative ways of interacting with environmental resources that can forge “just” climate futures
The Politics of International Labour Migration and Globalisation in Africa
Get PDFThis article examines the intricate relationship between migration, globalisation and socio-economic dynamics in Africa. It highlights the prevalence of intra-African migration, characterised by short-distance movements primarily driven by economic factors. The study critiques the dominant narrative framing migration as a purely developmental tool, arguing that the benefits of remittances and diaspora investments are often overshadowed by structural inequalities and the precarious conditions faced by migrant workers. The article also explores the role of states and international organisations in shaping migration policies, revealing a tension between the aspirations for regional integration and the realities of restrictive immigration practices. Ultimately, it calls for a nuanced understanding of migration that prioritises the rights of migrant workers and advocates for comprehensive governance frameworks to address exploitation and uphold human rights. This reflection contributes to the discourse on migration governance, highlighting the need for a collaborative approach that involves both state and non-state actors to effectively navigate the complexities of migration in the context of globalisation
Afrocentricity and decoloniality in disciplinarity: A reflective dialogue on academic literacy development
Get PDFThis study explores a transformative method to revise an academic literacy study guide in a Humanities faculty in South Africa. The methodology includes a critical literature review, positioning the study within the framework of Gee\u27s discourse theory and Lea and Street\u27s academic literacy model. The researcher functioned as a research instrument, critically evaluating the practical reasons for the guide\u27s revision and challenges prompting changes. The transformed text maintains its previous structure while adopting discourse, Afrocentric, and decolonial paradigms. Revisions aim to align with disciplinary discourses, critical thinking and to prepare students for nuanced literacies required in the Humanities. The inclusion of Afrocentric and decolonial paradigms involves introducing students to the origins of literacies in Africa, incorporating Indigenous Knowledge Systems, and utilising a Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) narrative. The discussion reflects on the anticipated effectiveness of the guide and address potential challenges during future implementation
An evolving approach to unconferencing: Reflections from piloting the HELTASAFEST22 scholarly festival
Get PDFThis article offers insight into the planning and facilitation of a scholarly learning and teaching festival which aims to negotiate the tensions between traditional and creative scholarly engagements in the Southern African higher education context. The aim of this case study is to critically reflect on planning and facilitating a scholarly learning and teaching festival as part of an (un)conferencing approach for HELTASA. The case study adopts a critical reflective methodology, where we reflect on our experiences and perceptions of planning and facilitating/participating in the festival. The article outlines the structure and methodologies of the festival and reflects on the contextual considerations for planning the festival and the positives and challenges associated with facilitating the festival. A major tension that had to be managed as part of the festival was the questions of academic rigour and the choice of a festival by some prospective participants
Ageism and gatekeeping: My experiences as an early career academic at a historically black university in South Africa
Get PDFIn 2019, senior black academics wrote about their experiences as members of faculty at historically white universities (see Khunou, et al., 2019). These experiences were reflective of the authors’ encounters with the legacies of colonialism, apartheid, and neoliberal capitalism. However, often experiences of academics from historically black universities (HBUs), especially early career academics (ECA), are marginalised and excluded. Using intersectionality and Nat Nakasa’s ‘native of nowhere’ as theoretical lenses and an autoethnographic reflexivity approach as the methodological approach, I narrate my encounters with ageism and gatekeeping at a HBU as a New Generation of Academics Programme academic. I argue that the intersectionality between ageism and gatekeeping made me feel like a native of nowhere. I equally conclude that moving forward there is a need to foster a sense of belonging among ECAs through enacting decolonial love. This requires that senior (black) academics not to perpetuate similar violent experiences they endured. This way, ECAs can become natives of somewhere within the university
