The Department of Sociology regards internationalisation as essential for academic enrichment. Collaboration with international institutions and scholars facilitates the exchange of knowledge and enhances the quality of our research and teaching.
Our academics reaching international audiences
Prof Katinka de Wet, Senior Lecturer in Department of Sociology, presented at two international conferences during October this year. The first conference in Bologna, was hosted by the Political Sociology Section of the Italian Sociological Association. The overarching theme of the conference was “Democracy and Society: Challenges, Risks and Opportunities for Contemporary Democracy”. Her presentation titled ”Informalising health care amid austerity and rising morbidity: South African Community Health Workers as agents of democracy?” was well received by the international audience.
Following this, Prof de Wet presented at an international conference at the University of Granada, Spain, organised by “Digital Diverse”. The theme of the conference was on “Social Sciences and Digital Humanities: Cooperation", Cultures, Societies and African Processes of Digitalisation South of the Sahara”. This conference provided an excellent opportunity for cross disciplinary exchange on an envisaged project within the Interdisciplinary Centre for Digital Futures at the UFS. Her presentation titled: “Data Sovereignty through ‘competence sovereignty’: Developing a critical digital skillset among a cohort of Humanities and Social Sciences students at the University of the Free State, South Africa” highlights her place as a thought leader in the Department.
Dr Nombulelo Shange, Sociology lecturer at the University of the Free State, extends her expertise to international platforms through several impactful publications focused on African identity, indigenous knowledge systems, and ecological justice. Her recent works explore African womanhood, the Ubuntu ontology of humanness, and critiques of conservation practices. In her review of Navigating Womanhood in Contemporary Botswana by Stephanie S. Starling, published in Feminist Encounters (UK), Shange delves into African womanhood and cultural identity. Her article on "African Ubuntu Humanness Ontology and Ecological Connection," published in Environmental Justice (USA), examines the deep ties between Ubuntu philosophy (ideologies) and environmental stewardship. Additionally, her piece, "The Paradox of Environmental Conservation in South Africa," featured in the Journal für Entwicklungspolitik (Austria), critically addresses the marginalisation of indigenous sustainability practices in modern conservation efforts in South Africa. Shange’s research contributes vital perspectives on African sociocultural and ecological issues to a global academic audience.
For a further reading on these international contributions:
Book review in Feminist Encounters
Article in Environmental JusticeArticle in Journal für Entwicklungspolitik