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Building blocks for success: Mentorship’s impact on mid-career academics
No full textWhile mentorship has existed ever since Odysseus set sail for Troy, in recent decades, there has been an explosion of interest in the concept. Although there is no consensus on what the ‘best’ model of mentorship is, there is acceptance that mentoring plays a crucial role in the success of academic careers. In what follows, we use collaborative autoethnography to present our contrasting experiences to explore the connection between mentoring and the progression of an academic through the various stages of their career. We employ the analogy of building a house and making a home to argue that while early career academics can benefit from mentorship that addresses the basic elements of an academic career, mid-career academics require more specialised interventions - some of which go beyond mentoring - that are tailored to the individual needs and personal plans for shaping their careers
Redesigning doctoral education in South Africa: The case for structured coursework
Full text linkIt is increasingly the norm to include coursework as part of the doctoral curriculum. In this paper, academics from six countries explore how structured coursework can enhance research preparation, build scholarly communities, and develop transferable professional skills, while raising concerns about maintaining flexibility and preserving research time. Every context brings its own histories, values, and norms and so comparing experiences runs the risk of ignoring national contexts and expectations; nonetheless, this international reflection can inform contextualised deliberations about the purpose and process of coursework. Importantly, we argue that reflections are needed about what the doctorate is for and how coursework might affect the achievement of these purposes. When implemented only with the aim of decreasing time-to-completion, coursework risks falling short of its transformative potential. For coursework to enhance doctoral education, it must attend to the fundamental purpose of contributing to the frontiers of knowledge and developing responsible, independent researchers.
Misapplied and Misunderstood: The Disparities in the Use of Prodigality and its Limits
Full text linkDue to the fact that people have subjective existence, it is difficult to determine the extent to which they should allow legal concepts to influence or govern their innermost personal lives. It may be inferred from the Bill of Rights in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa that South Africans have the right to autonomy over themselves and how they choose to lead their lives, including how they manage their own estates. A pressing issue in this regard is whether the declaration of prodigality invasively strips the prodigal of the ability to exercise his or her commercial rights and what implications this has for his or her human dignity. The state has the duty to protect all citizens, especially children (as per section 28 of the Constitution as well as the Children’s Act), and, through reasonable means, intervene when individuals fail to protect themselves. There is, however, the question of whether the state, in granting an interdict to limit a prodigal’s capacity to act and in appointing a curator bonis to administer the estate, is employing reasonable means and whether, or to what extent, individuals should allow the state to govern their personal habits. Some believe that the appointment of a curator bonis is invasive of one’s dignity, freedom, and control of one’s life. Indeed, this article argues that the law of prodigality isoutdated and needs to be developed such that its application does not infringe on a person’s right to human dignity and yet is efficacious in protecting the interests of children
The Impact of Apartheid on intimate partner violence in South Africa
Full text linkThis article explores the intricate relationship between apartheid and intimate partner violence (IPV) in South Africa. It examines how racial oppression through institutions and systemic violence established a culture of violence and aggression that institutionalised gender-based violence (GBV), including domestic violence (DV) and IPV. Previously, violence against women (VAW) had been normalised, with IPV treated as an individual issue, particularly within black communities. Apartheid reinforced not only a patriarchal system but also a racial and gendered hierarchy that further excluded black women, who were doubly disadvantaged on the basis of both their race and gender. South African IPV legislation evolved in the long shadow of apartheid ideas that are still reflected in existing laws. Despite democratic change and liberal reform to laws, the shadow of apartheid persists, as evidenced by IPV statistics and societal attitudes towards the abuse of women. Addressing this requires a multi-faceted approach entailing legal, social, and cultural reform supported by education, awareness campaigns, and community interventions to combat crimes such as IPV
