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This paper engages with the recent discourse on decolonization of knowledge in South Africa from a sociological perspective. It interrogates the position and relevance of both sociology and sociologists to the development aspirations of South Africa. Its basic assumption is that sociology as a discipline is invaluable to the current needs for social reformation and reconstruction in South Africa. While the relevance of sociology as a discipline consistent with unravelling the complex and complicated dynamics of social formations remains unquestioned, its value as the embodiment of social aspirations and development has been undermined by the unquestioning assumption of the superiority of knowledge systems from outside and the glaring failure to promote sociology that is both contextualized and responsive. There is no arguing the prominent role of sociology in the liberation struggles and initial encounter with imperialism; there is also no doubt that sociologists nowadays have found comfort in an uninvolving study of society and the generation of knowledge that hardly functions as an adequate anchor for the existential needs of society. This paper therefore argues for the emergence of "frontier" sociologists and sociology of relevance which interrogates knowledge from outside and critically builds conviviality between outsider and African ontologies and epistemologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research, with a capital 'R', is a subject of considerable concern within South African ruling circles. There's not enough of it, and it's not the right kind, or so the argument runs. Recognising the importance of the material conditions of the researchers and the need for a bottom-up approach to developing research priorities, this paper focuses on the state of sociology research in South Africa today. It demonstrates that, over the past twelve years, a marked increase in the output of masters and doctoral graduates has been accompanied by a decline in the level of completed research by qualified sociologists. In terms of publications, there has been a significant increase in the proportion produced by women, but a negligible change in the number by black scholars. The paper rejects pessimistic assessments of the state of South African sociology. It concludes by arguing that the discipline should place itself at the centre of an integrated and engaged social science by drawing diverse strands together at a local level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article the author discusses the role of the sociologist after half-a-century of studying science. He explores the problem with misconceptions about human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatment in South Africa. He provides an overview of the paper "Third Wave of Science Studies," which he and fellow sociologist Rob Evans wrote. He also discusses the new programme called Studies of Expertise and Experience.

Since the early fifties M.N. Srinivas's sociological imagination has defined the perspectives and methodologies that govern the contours of Indian sociology. This text, which is the seventh memorial M.N. Srinivas lecture, makes a critical assessment of Srinivas's contribution to sociology in India and to sociology of the world. It argues that Srinivas's theories and conceptual repertoire has not been able to capture the complexities of Indian society. It remains trapped in middle class, upper class and patriarchal orientations. The 'field view' that Srinivas advocated, the study of the micro (the caste system in the village) through participant observation is limiting and needs to be compensated and complemented by other methods. The paper argues for the imperative to assess the macro in order to examine the nature of contemporary polity and economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept canon is increasingly used to refer to the core concepts, texts, theories and authors in scientific and artistic disciplines. This article examines the appropriateness of this term when used in the social sciences generally and in sociology specifically. It argues that in terms of a strict definition of 'canon' sociology does not have a canon and cannot be regarded as a canonical discipline. The concept of a 'compilatory' discipline is introduced and discussed via references to the sociological catalogue and the knowledge/power relations that account for the form and structure of the catalogue. Arguments for regarding sociology as a compilatory rather than a canonic discipline are advanced and some consequences of this are explored through a discussion of the debates and struggles that were waged over the sociology curriculum during the apartheid years and more recently. The paper concludes with a call to South African sociologists to recognise the compilatory nature of the discipline and to meet the challenges this implies in the contemporary context and for the renewal of sociology and social transformation in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a speech by sociologist Michael Burawoy delivered at the 14th Annual Congress of the South African Sociological Association held at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa on June 30, 2009. Burawoy focused on the international dimension of sociology. He highlighted the inequalities between countries at international level, ways to address these inequalities, geopolitical differences among countries, and problems that are shared by all countries.

This article reports on a study that explored how Eritrean refugees in South Africa – part of a generational wave of emigrants labelled the “generation asylum” by Hepner (2015) – make sense of their refugee experience and identities, herewith referred to as interpretative repertoires. Interpretative repertoires is a concept coined by sociologists, Gilbert and Mulkay (1984) and later adopted by Potter and Wetherell (1987), to refer to the different and at times contradictory ways in which social actors characterise or describe a phenomenon. Five dominant interpretative repertoires were identified based on a discursive analysis of interview transcripts with 10 participants living in Pretoria, South Africa: (1) the “rights” repertoire; (2) the “embrace your refugee identity” repertoire; (3) the “victimised refugee” repertoire; (4) the “protected refugee” repertoire; and (5) the “criminalised refugee” repertoire. It is argued that participants deployed contradictory and yet complementary repertoires, drawing primarily on lived and imagined experiences in their country of origin and asylum as resources to give meaning to their refugee identities. These repertoires demonstrate the refugees’ ambivalence and bring to the surface the tensions they experience between South Africa’s constitutional promise and their relative legal security, on the one hand, and the everyday threat of xenophobic violence and negative public sentiment, on the other hand. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article reviews the research methods and methodologies employed by South African sociological researchers when conducting research, as published in academic peer-reviewed journals during the period of 1990 to 2009. Specific attention was given to trends in terms of qualitative and quantitative methodologies employed, as well as sampling, data collection and data analysis methods utilised. The article addresses, among others, the concern expressed in the literature that an over-emphasis on one approach is unhealthy for the development of the social sciences in a country; and it explores whether such an over-emphasis occurred. Data were obtained from a stratified, systematic sample of 111 research articles sourced from various online databases, and both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses were conducted. Data analysis primarily involved the use of descriptive statistics, but bivariate analysis and chi-square tests were also employed. The main findings of the research are that, from 1990 to 2009, both quantitative and qualitative methodologies were employed to an equal extent, while among sampling methods non-probability methods predominated. Both local and international collaboration increased over the years, and a quantitative methodology was significantly more likely when international collaborators were involved. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article presents an obituary for sociologist and humanist Dian Joubert.

In the 14th century, Ibn Khaldun (1332–1406) propounded sociological ideas similar to those of classical sociologists such as Auguste Comte (1798–1857), Emile Durkheim (1858–1917), Ferdinand Tonnies (1855–1936) and Karl Marx (1818–1883). He attempted to study and understand human society by using scientific methods of enquiry. However, Ibn Khaldun's name and contributions to modern sociology are apparently missing from most Western sociological textbooks in most universities across the globe. This article examines the sociological ideas of Ibn Khaldun and their relevance to contemporary sociology. The article considers factors responsible for why Ibn Khaldun has ceased to command a wide audience in contemporary mainstream sociology and suggests the need for modern sociologists and social scientists generally to begin to become acquainted and engage rigorously with his ideas and arguments. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Information about several topics discussed during the 2011 XVIIth South African Sociological Association (SASA) which was held at the University of Pretoria in South Africa is presented. Topics include the treatment towards women, constitutional rights of South African LGBT people, and the works of sociologists for the development of industrial sociology and political economy. The conference was attended by Cheryl de la Rey and Raewyn Connell.

An overview of the careers of a selected group of sociologists who left academia is presented. Qualitative interviews with 11 female and five male former academic sociologists were conducted. It was found that research participants entered sociology as postgraduate students by chance, being influenced by sociology lecturers and/or because of an interest in the subject. After being appointed in academic positions, some experienced a lack of support from senior academics, and even discrimination and unfair treatment. The main reasons given for exiting an academic career include experiences of discrimination, repeatedly being offered contract academic positions, wanting to pursue a related career outside of academia, or the belief that a new career would enhance personal development. Insights from the expectancy theory and the anchor theory illuminate their reasons for leaving an academic career. After leaving academia, research and writing skills as well as an understanding of interpersonal dynamics (as taught in sociology) were specifically valued. If sociologists leave academia, a closer relationship between the sociology practised in academic circles and the application of sociology in other sectors of society is suggested. Yet, negative aspects highlighted in the article, such as discrimination against certain participants, are stumbling blocks for fostering such closer relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a speech by sociology professor Edward Webster, delivered at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa on July 21, 2007, in which he discussed the academic work of sociologist and professor Jacklyn Cock, the factors that have formed Cock's distinctive contribution to sociology and the three important features of her view of sociology.

At the core of the crisis of social relations in contemporary South Africa is a privatisation of the public sphere which is forcing individuals to seek private remedies to socially produced problems. The way access to clean and adequate water is threatened by both privatisation and pollution illustrates this process. The article argues that resistance to these processes has the potential to 'resocialise' the crisis, and could be strengthened by the involvement of sociologists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]