Overview

Tracing the historical development of 'critical engagement' from a Global South perspective, the book deftly weaves a bridge between the debates on public sociology and decolonial frameworks. The idea of public sociology, as introduced by Michael Burawoy, was inspired by the sociological practice in South Africa known as 'critical engagement'. This volume explores the evolution of critical engagement before and after Burawoy's visit to South Africa in the 1990s and offers a Southern critique of his model of public sociology. Involving four generations of researchers from the Global South, the authors provide a multifaceted exploration of the formation of new knowledge through research practices of co-production.

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9781529221152

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Reviews

""Drawing from sociology, South African politics and labour studies, this volume provides a much-needed and inspirational account of what sociology could and should be. This is an essential history and practice that must be remembered and kept alive in global disciplinary forums.” Nandini Sundar, Delhi University “Michael Burawoy's call for a 'public sociology' was inspired, in large part, by sociologists in the global South, including in South Africa’s anti-apartheid struggle. As the essays in this volume demonstrate, there is much can can learn from their experiences and from their strategies for dealing with tensions between public engagement and the demands of academe.” Gay Seidman, University of Wisconsin-Madison “Successfully navigating the complexities of setting up in-depth studies, producing the research data and promoting its utilisation to an array of publics including politicians requires a ‘critical engagement’ approach which is argued for and illustrated.” Charles Crothers, Auckland University of Technology

Author Information

Andries Bezuidenhout is Professor of Development Studies at the University of Fort Hare, South Africa. Sonwabile Mnwana is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Fort Hare, South Africa. Karl von Holdt is Professor and former Director of the Society, Work and Politics Institute at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.

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