Annual Research Report 2020

46 Postgraduate Committee Report Our postgraduate studies started in 2019 as the first flagship for our university, with an honours degree in the Social Sciences with specialisation in Sociology. In 2020, two other honours pro- grammes in History and Heritage Studies were added. A total of seven honours students have so far completed their projects and six of these have already graduated. As a school we take pride in making our students realise immense possibilities and become true visionaries and drivers of innovation and change that will shape our society and its future. Our postgraduate students are involved in cutting-edge research that critically interrogates the daily lived experiences and realities of our community. The research projects of two of our graduates have focused on how we should understand the role of public and private welfare in our communities in the post-apartheid dispensation. Katlego Mothibi looked at the role of the Community Work Programme (CWP) as part of public welfare in post-apartheid South Africa. Kagiso Moroane, on the other hand, focused on the role of soup kitchens as part of private welfare in poor communities in post-apartheid South Africa. The two projects highlight the paradox of welfare; how on one the hand it is designed to assist the poor while at the same time constituting part of a system designed to maintain the status quo. Naledi Tsiane’s honours project examined how students at Sol Plaatje University make and give meaning to the spaces and architecture of the univer- sity. She explored the way in which the students occupy and use these spaces and produce knowledge from such. Her study concluded that the use of space is muddled with various notions of power and marginality. Lesego Marumo explored the way uni- versity students understand sexual harassment. Her study iden- tified the gendered understanding of sexual harassment amongst university students and suggested how this scourge should be redressed. Tiffany Kenneth looked at the livelihood strategies of immigrants in a small urban settlement. Her study was based on the experiences of Zimbabwe immigrants living in Prieska, Northern Cape province. It highlights the gendered nature of the immigrants’ livelihood strategies and how this is tied to family networks and work in the informal sector. She argues that this al- lows them to overcome structural barriers. She further highlights how immigrants constitute an integral part of their communities. Humairaa Hoosen examined the labour process and how work in the gig economy is organised, drawing from the subjective experiences of Uber drivers in Johannesburg. Her study reflected how the way in which the labour process and work are organised in the gig economy configures, on the one hand, their role in re- dressing the challenges faced by the ex-mineworkers as members of the community, while on the other hand the overall philosophy is tied to managing discontent and maintaining the status quo. As a school we endeavour to promote and advance engaged schol- arship that talks to the realities of our communities, as reflected in the work of our postgraduate students. In line with this vision, our research and that of our students present us with the opportu- nity to interrogate the lived experiences of our communities. This in many ways gives us a new lens for understanding our context and communities and some of their challenges, and in the process presents possible remedies for a better society and its future. At the School of Humanities, we take pride in the cutting-edge research of our students which speaks intimately to the daily realities and experiences of our communities. As a school we do not just strive to produce practitioners, we take pride in pro- ducing conscious and engaged citizens who will become leading torchbearers and change agents in their various communities, ultimately shaping the future. As a school we strive to create an environment that supports and affirms diversity in all manifesta- tions, including race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, reli- gion, age, social class, disability status, region/country of origin, and political orientation. We also celebrate diversity of theoretical and methodological perspectives among our school and students and seek to create an atmosphere of respect and mutual dialogue that promotes engaged scholarship. As a School we strive to help our students realise immense pos- sibilities. Some of our alumni have already been received warmly by industry and the world of work. They are already serving in various leading research institutes, NGOs and government institu- tions. Our School is home to some of the leading experts in various field within the humanities and social science who have published cutting-edge research in various accredited journals and books. Some of our academics are NRF rated; they are recognised as established researchers, sit on various editorial and review boards and committees and have been commissioned to conduct research by various international and local institutions. Our school makes Sol Plaatje University a university of choice for anyone interested in cutting-edge scholarship and in advancing their training and research in the various disciplines within the social sciences and the humanities. Dr Crispen Chinguno Chairperson