Nhu Space
The Nhu Space is anchored on two thematic areas of work, namely, (i) Boys, Men and Masculinities; and (ii) Decolonised, Decolonial, Indigenous, Africa(n)-centering Psychology.
Major Thematic Areas of work of the Centre of Critical and Creative Thought
Decolonising/Decolonial, Indigenous, Africa(n)-centering Psychology
The overarching objective of the work under the theme Decolonised, Decolonial, Indigenous, Africa(n)-centring Psychology is to nurture epistemic sovereignty.
We are motivated by the desire to provincialise Western-centric psychology.
Undermining and throwing out the supremacist claims embedded in hegemonic EuroAmerican psychological theory, research and practice are important goals.
Inspiration for the work done under theme Decolonised, Decolonial, Indigenous, Africa(n)-centring Psychology comes from individuals, groups and movements across the world.
We pay attention to hidden, neglected, and marginalised ideas as we produce new knowledge and support other ways of relating, being, thinking, feeling and acting.
Fostering collaborations, knowledge, and practices attuned to the realities in which we exist, we nurture vhunu and generosity, inventiveness and solidarity, life-long learning and self-healing, love, play, mutuality and justice.
We privilege anticolonial, decolonising, decolonial and indigenous African and Southern thought and practice.
Boys, Men and Masculinities
There is a large amount of research, interventions and advocacy on gender, on men and masculinities, on women, on femininities, and on sexualities found in psychology. Women, gender and feminist studies, queer studies, masculinity studies, philosophy, literature, and sociology are some of the fields from which interesting work has emerged. The Nhu Space is distinguished by its openness to work on gender, masculinities, boys, men and fatherhood that is worldly yet meaningfully situated. This openness the local moment and global dynamics is intended to encourage more original, ampler, and resonant Africa(n)-centred contributions that can travel.
We are particularly interested in and support scholarly, creative and practice-based work that is informed by place-based and value-based approaches. We encourage contributions to help understand the creative unmaking and remaking of men and boys as a gender/sex and their relations to others. The work we encourage, support and supervise includes, but is not limited to, theoretical, methodological, empirical, creative and community-based work on masculinities and femininities, fatherhood, motherhood, boys, violence, and love. An ongoing project housed under this thematic area is the Tataokhona Project.
Postgraduate Students, Postdocs and Research Associates
Regarding psychology, we encourage postgraduate students to develop courage to do psychological topics differently by creatively and critically approaching their subjects. Topics that usually do not receive much attention from psychology such as land, activism, photography, housing, corruption, and dancing are welcome. The same applies to studies on boys, men and masculinities. Students are urged toward the radical re-embedding of economic, political, social and psychological problems within social structures, cultural contexts, and technological environments. A strong sense of collaborative thinking and writing, especially with people outside of psychology and outside universities, is engendered.
Prospective, eligible students who wish to be associated with the work of the Nhu Space can register for MA Psychology (Thesis) or PhD and ask to be put in contact with Professor Ratele. Information to apply for an MA Psychology (Thesis) can be found here. Information to apply for a PhD can be found here.
Besides postgraduate students, whenever possible, we create space for research, creative and social innovation fellows to spend time in our Nhu Space. Please keep an eye on calls but you can simply drop us an email to see if we have a space.
Current students attached to the Nhu Space:
Samantha Hammond (2025)
How men respond to constrictions of masculinity online
Thabolwethu Tema Maphosa (2025)
Moving from the ‘man’ to umuntu: post patriarchal imaginaries in times of socio-political reckoning
Keleabetswe Rabalago (2025)
Decolonial activism as antidote against intersecting oppressions
Iphendule Filtane (2024)
Cultural adaptation and mental health among male internal migrants
Current associates attached to the Nhu Space:
Dr. Charla Smith Postdoctoral fellow
Oska Paul Visiting Researcher, 2025
Dr. Smith has a PhD in Philosophy. Her thesis was titled A Feminist Rereading of the figure of Winnie Mandela. Her interests include violence, masculinities and meaning making. Recent articles include:
Smith, C. On thinking about interpersonal violence and the impotence of force.
Oska Paul is a PhD candidate at the University of Warwick. He has been involved in migrant-justice initiatives as an activist, a legal advice professional, and a researcher in London and Athens. His PhD project contributes to a growing body of work on solidarity networks in Greece, by exploring the gendered dimensions of African men’s alternative infrastructures and socialities of care. He is committed to participatory methods and community-engaged research outputs. He was a visiting PhD fellow for two months at the Nhu Space.