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This book addresses a notable gap in African sociological knowledge by leveraging extensive empirical data covering all 54 African countries and drawing on historical insights from across the continent. Offering a nuanced understanding of African society, it signifies an unprecedented endeavour committed to unravelling the intricate tapestry of African society. The analysis presented in the book goes into the dynamic evolution of sociological topics, their interconnections with African knowledge, the identification of contemporary themes, methodological diversity, and contemporary challenges and issues of indigenisation, decolonisation, and promoting an Africa-centered sociology.

This edited volume focuses on the changing research methodologies in social science research, prompted by the new social world shaped by the pandemic. It explores adaptations and developments to meet the demands of transforming social circumstances and showcases innovative alternative approaches.Featuring a range of international and interdisciplinary contributors who discuss the context of social science research in the'new normal', the book sets out the need to redesign research to address present-day challenges for the post-pandemic. Chapters share methodological innovations and demonstrate how applicable these new and adapted methodologies are to a world post-pandemic, discussing a wide range of innovative, digital-first research methods with practical analysis. The role of technology and its application in social science research during this transition is explored in particular, alongside new approaches to quantitative and qualitative research that feature innovations in ethnography, online data collection, and ethical protocols for research.Ultimately offering a comprehensive exploration of adaptive and innovative social science research methodologies suited to the current social context, the book will be relevant to researchers, academics, and scholars in the fields of research methods, research technologies, and the sociology of education.

This book explores the connection between family structure and circumstances, parental engagement, and adolescent sexual behavior. Given that South Africa contains the highest portion of the global HIV epidemic within a single country, a comprehensive, book-length investigation into—sometimes risky—adolescent sexual behaviour is necessary. Drawing from the longitudinal Cape Area Panel Study (CAPS) of more than 4,000 adolescents between the ages of fourteen and twenty-two, as well as qualitative interviews and focus group discussions with parents and adolescents, this study pioneers empirical investigation of adolescent sexual behavior within the intricate framework of family dynamics in South Africa.

This book offers an examination of Africa's scientific landscape based on extensive empirical data encompassing fifty-four African countries. It traces the evolution of science on the continent, highlighting research areas, global partnerships, funding sources, research capacity, and the impact of science policies. Acknowledging that Africa relies heavily on external sources, particularly from the Global North, for scientific research, the book identifies and addresses obstacles hindering self-reliance and underscores the urgent need for revitalized partnerships and cooperation to bolster Africa's scientific autonomy. It offers valuable recommendations to promote self-reliance, making it an indispensable resource for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners.

Dieses Buch ist der erste umfassende Bericht über die Geschichte und den aktuellen Stand der südafrikanischen Soziologie. Es bietet ein ganzheitliches Bild des Fachs, wie es an den Universitäten gelehrt wird, und zeigt die Entwicklung einer Disziplin in einem schwierigen soziopolitischen Kontext auf. Anhand historischer und wissenschaftlicher Daten wird aufgezeigt, wie die sich verändernde politische Situation - vom Kolonialismus über die Apartheid bis hin zur Demokratie - Art, Richtung und Schwerpunkte der soziologischen Forschung im Lande beeinflusst hat. Der Autor zeigt, wie die Soziologie während der Apartheid-Ära beruflich zersplittert und entlang von Sprach- und Rassengrenzen geteilt war. Mit der Einführung der Demokratie im Jahr 1994 konnte sie jedoch wieder aufblühen und hat sich zu einer einzigartigen akademischen Bewegung entwickelt. Dieses aufschlussreiche Werk richtet sich an Studierende und Wissenschaftler der Sozialwissenschaften sowie an alle, die sich für die Geschichte und Gesellschaft Südafrikas interessieren.

Sociology as a discipline has a history of two centuries which has varied between countries. Its presence across the world is felt now more than ever. Over the years, sociology has been established as a discipline and contributed to the advancement of knowledge about society through scientific research. This facilitated the development of knowledge in other areas and disciplines as well. What sociology is doing globally, the contributions it has made to our knowledge of society and social phenomena, and the direction in which it is moving are of interest to both academics and the general public. There are many books that describe the global character of sociology, but a fully research-based empirical work is yet to arrive on the market. This book fills that gap. It is about sociologies around the world. Viewed from a global perspective, this research-based study examines the world of sociology and its global features and trends. Specifically, the book deals with the trends in sociology; the broad and general areas of fields, subfields and research areas; the prominent, flourishing, emerging and/or declining areas of sociology; the origin of sociological knowledge; geographical regions and countries; the characteristics of global sociology in terms of language, research methodology, disciplinary backgrounds, interdisciplinarity and authorship; the relationships between the country of affiliation of authors and research areas; the effects of gender of the author and its interrelationships with the discipline, department, research areas and collaboration. The book will be an important resource for students, teachers, practitioners, researchers and the public. - The aim of this book is to examine the world of sociology and its global features and trends. It is viewed from a global perspective and exercises sociologies in different parts of the world which are integral. More specifically, the study examines sociology through sociological research, across countries where the discipline exists. The book deals with themes such as sociologies in the world, major research areas in sociology, collaboration and interdisciplinarity, and contemporary challenges, pertinent issues and debates. The book has eight chapters. - The topics the book deals with include the trends in sociology as inferred from sociology publications; the broad and general research areas that are evident in sociology at the global level; the prominent, flourishing, declining and/or emerging areas of sociology; the origin of sociological knowledge—geographical regions and countries; the characteristics of global sociology in terms of language, research methodology, disciplinary backgrounds, interdisciplinarity and authorship; the relationships between the country of affiliation of authors and research areas; the differences in the departmental affiliation and disciplinary backgrounds of authors; the gender of the author and its interrelationships with the discipline, department, research areas and collaboration; the effect of gender, discipline and collaboration of authors on the impact of sociology; and the key outlets and the location of the outlets of sociological research.

The Oxford Handbook of the Sociology of Africa presents to a broad readership an accessible, comprehensive, up to date, and topical comparative analysis of sociological thinking in Africa. Sociological discourse about African societies has been challenging and difficult, due to a lack of both comprehensive analyses and holistic sociological evidence that covers Africa from past to present times. This Handbook brings together latest analyses of sociological phenomena from the best scholars working on numerous thematic areas. It provides contributions that locates African sociological thinking in historical context and takes a critical look at its current manifestations across the continent. This collection builds upon an existing body of literature which has demonstrated that while the analysis of African societies has long been an item on the agenda of sociologists worldwide, advances of the decolonial critique made notably by African scholars in Africa enhances the scholarship of the sociology of Africa. Thus, the collection is premised upon the understanding that in order to understand the sociology of Africa as significant intervention, the participation and representation of African ways of knowing and doing is a critical starting point. This Handbook comprises a series of scholarly and interdisciplinary perspectives on current debates over how best to unpack sociological imaginations in African context. The scholarly contributions, therefore, are based on both perspectives illustrating the importance of specificity in sociological phenomenon. The Handbook is arranged in seven parts: Context and Perspectives; Race, Ethnicity, and Religion; Gender, Sexuality, and Intersectionality; Medical Sociology: Political Economy and Development; Crime and Violence; and The Family and Education. Premised on the importance of African ways of knowing and doing, these chapters offer sociologists, researchers, and students an invaluable starting point for a fuller understanding of African sociology.

Drawing on insights from across Africa, this book investigates the discourses and practices that guide doctoral training today.Higher education is regarded as key for driving development and innovation, creating an informed knowledge base equipped to tackle local and global challenges. For too long external forces defined education in the continent, but now African countries are revitalising higher education, designing doctoral training to fit distinctly African needs and contexts. This book investigates the history, present and future potential of doctoral training on international, regional, national and institutional levels. Bringing together expertise from both research and practice, the book analyses the frameworks and structures of the doctoral phase, and how institutions, supervisors, mentors and young scholars meet the challenges of training in real life. The book covers issues such as access to education, proactive recruitment, funding issues, practitioner expertise, enrolment and drop-out, across a range of countries including South Africa, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Benin, Ghana and Morocco.This book will be a rich resource for higher education administrators and policy makers, as well as researchers and academics with an interest in higher education in Africa.

Scientometrics for the Humanities and Social Sciences is the first ever book on scientometrics that deals with the historical development of both quantitative and qualitative data analysis in scientometric studies. It focuses on its applicability in new and emerging areas of inquiry. This important book presents the inherent potential for data mining and analysis of qualitative data in scientometrics. The author provides select cases of scientometric studies in the humanities and social sciences, explaining their research objectives, sources of data and methodologies. It illustrates how data can be gathered not only from prominent online databases and repositories, but also from journals that are not stored in these databases. With the support of specific examples, the book shows how data on demographic variables can be collected to supplement scientometric data. The book deals with a research methodology which has an increasing applicability not only to the study of science, but also to the study of the disciplines in the humanities and social sciences.

Since gaining political independence in the 1950s, science has rapidly become a prerequisite for national development within many African nations. Supported by international agencies, such as UNESCO, initiatives were taken to direct Africa on the road of scientific development, enabling contributions to world science and significant progress in many specific research areas. However, from a developmental perspective there remains the question of how science influences national development plans and strategies. How far are science policies integrated into the national development plans? What potential and challenges do science and technology pose for Africa and its prospects for wider development? Offering a comprehensive historical and empirical study of science in both colonial and post-colonial Africa, R. Sooryamoorthy brings to light the connections between science, policy and development in African nations. Focusing on understanding the widening gap in science and technology between developed and developing regions, and the integration (or lack of) with national development strategies, this study provides important insights into the potential opportunities and challenges facing Africa in the areas of science.

This book examines the trajectory of management studies in South Africa during the apartheid and post-apartheid periods. The unique political journey of South Africa provides a distinctive context in which to explore the progression of management studies within a developing state. The authors consider how Apartheid has configured the discipline of management studies to reflect certain racial, institutional and gendered trends, and analyse the extent to which these trends have adapted or changed in post-Apartheid times. Appealing to management scholars and professionals, this book provides implications for policy and practice within the South African higher education sector, and presents avenues for future research.

Within a short period of time, South Africa has made remarkable progress in the adoption of mobile and Internet technologies. In this landmark study, R. Sooryamoorthy examines the development of communication patterns, social contacts and networks in South Africa. Based on pioneering quantitative and qualitative data, he analyses trends in changing media use in Africa, showing the development of the use of new media for communication by South Africans of all ages, races and genders in relation to the development of media infrastructure, its cost and government policy. It shows how people use the media for communication purposes that affirm or break their social contacts and networks, and how they apply media to establish, re-establish or maintain social relationships. This book will be of interest to those researching the growth of communication technology in Africa, as well as those involved in the wider fields of development studies and economics.