RE-IMAGINING THE SOCIAL IN SOUTH AFRICA, critique, theory and post-apartheid society

308pp., paperback, Pietermaritzburg, 2009

The essays in this collection "offer explanations for why post-apartheid discourses are narrowly focused, and imagine different conversations around contemporary South African life." from the back cover

"Democracy did not bring 'the end of history' to South Africa: difficult ethical and political questions remain. This volume reaffirms the project of theoretically grounded critique from perspectives in the south. This is a very welcome and important contribution to contemporary debates about post-apartheid society." Deborah Posel, Professor of Sociology and founding director of the Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research (WISER)

"This collection makes a powerful case for the need to encourage traditions of critical thought in contemporary South Africa. Some of the liveliest academic minds in the country question the passivity of current intellectual discourse and remind us of the important role played by the humanities and social sciences in ending apartheid habits of mind. The authors argue that current problems require similarly adventurous and challenging ideas." Saul Dubow, Professor of History, Sussex University

Contributions include "Citizenship, Knowledge and the Nationalist State" by Ivor Chipkin,
"On Representation: citizenship and critique in Marx and Said" by John Higgins,
"Translating 'South Africa": race, colonialism and challenges of critical thought after apartheid" by Suren Pillay, and
"A Subaltern Studies for South African History" by Premesh Lalu.

Heather Jacklin is Senior Lecturer in the School of Education at the University of Cape Town.
Peter Vale helds the Nelson Mandela Chair in Politics at Rhodes University.