Research clusters
Department’s main research themes or clusters:
- Social theory and social science research methodology
- Anthropology/sociology of development
- Gender, sexuality and society (including HIV/AIDS)
- Culture, language and race
- Religion and identity
- Land, environment and society
- The sociology of work
- Policing, armed forces and society
- Urbanization, migration and new forms of governance
- Knowledge, science and technology (including higher education teaching)
- Anthropology/sociology of health, medicine and the body
Signature research strengths
A major strength of the Department is its commitment to the integration of thinking and practice around Social Theory and Research Methodology in its postgraduate research training.
Since the mid-1990s the Department has had a strong research focus on: community development, poverty and social security (both national and provincial); the agricultural sector in the Western Cape; social science research methods; science and technology studies; and urban, youth and gender studies. It has also conducted applied research in the area of local and regional development.
In recent years new research interests and projects have been added to these established fields, including the social aspects of health, armed forces in society, land reform, cultural identities and the environment.
The following broad clusters reflect the diversity of research interests in the Department. More information on research can also be found in the staff profiles.
Selected publications or projects
The Department hosts the South African Research Chair in the Sociology of Land, Environment and Sustainable Development, which was awarded in 2016 and renewed for a second five-year term in 2021.