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29 May 2019 | Story Valentino Ndaba | Photo Pexels
Prof Melanie Walker
Fostering human capabilities in universities may potentially transform education, says Prof Melanie Walker.
Education is at the centre of human life, and has the potential to be a crucial support for democratic life. Prof Melanie Walker’s recent research paper strikes a balance in dealing with people, education and the implications for democracy through the lens of human capabilities theory and practice and her own research.

People and papers

In her capacity as the SARChI Chair in the Higher Education and Human Development Research Programme at the University of the Free State (UFS), Prof Walker recently published a paper titled: Defending the Need for a Foundational Epistemic Capability in Education. It appeared in the special issue of the Journal of Human Development and Capabilities in honour of renowned Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen’s 85th birthday.

Nurturing epistemic justice

Within the context of existing literature such as that of Sen’s concern with the value of education on the one hand, and public reasoning on the other, Prof Walker argues for a foundational epistemic capability to shape the formal education landscape – as well as quality in education – by fostering inclusive public reasoning (including critical thinking) in all students. It would contribute to what Sen calls the ‘protective power of democracy’ and shared democratic rights, which, he argues, are strongly missed when most needed.

“Sen’s approach asks us to build democratic practices in our university and in our society in ways which create capabilities for everyone. If our students learn public reasoning in all sorts of spaces in university, including the pedagogical, they may carry this into and back to society,” she said.

Educating for equality

Empowering society and fighting for justice are some of the crucial contributions made possible through fostering the epistemic capability of all students. “The capability requires that each student is recognised as both a knower and teller, a receiver and a contributor in critical meaning and knowledge, and an epistemic agent in processes of learning and critical thinking,” states Prof Walker.

In a young democracy like South Africa’s, inclusive public reasoning becomes all the more essential in order to achieve equality, uphold rights and sustain democracy as enshrined in the constitution, thereby improving people’s lives. 

News Archive

First book on Bloemfontein published in 25 years
2008-10-21

 

During the launch of the book "Spatialities of Urban Change" are, from the left, front: Mr Malefetsane Mokoena, General Manager: Housing at the Mangaung Local Municipality and one of the co-authors of the book, Mr Amos Goliath, Executive Director: Corporate Affairs at the Mangaung Local Municipality, Ms Rothea van Biljon, Chairperson of the Afrikaanse Handelsinstituut Bloemfontein; back: Prof. Lochner Marais, editor of the book from the Centre for Development Support at the UFS, and Prof. Gustav Visser, editor of the book from the Department of Geography at the UFS. Photo Stephen Collett

 The University of the Free State (UFS) has published a book on Bloemfontein for the first time in 25 years. The book, titled “Spatialities of Urban Change”, is the first South African scholarly account in book form of spatial themes on urban change in a secondary city in South Africa. The book was recently launched on the Main Campus in Bloemfontein.

The editors of the book are Prof. Lochner Marais from the Centre for Development Support and Prof. Gustav Visser from the Department of Geography, both from the UFS. Their co-authors are five Ph.D. students in Development Studies, one Ph.D. student in Geography and one master’s student in Development Studies.

According to Prof. Visser, there is a gap in the market for new perspectives on how cities work and how urban theory can develop. This book will contribute to filling that gap. The book also manages to involve students and their research – giving them the opportunity to have their research published.

The book addresses various aspects of Bloemfontein’s spatiality and issues such as suburbanization and the subsequent decline of the central business district, the city’s tourism potential and the impact of the Volksblad Arts Festival on re-imaging the city as a place that has something to offer any visitor, are discussed among others. Other topics include the suburb Westdene and how diverse spatiality manifests itself at this scale, and white flight from the inner city areas.

“A central theme running through the book is how the urban discourse of Bloemfontein relate to the country’s metropolitan core and conversely to other secondary cities,“ says Prof. Visser.

Media Release:
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@ufs.ac.za
22 October 2008

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