Department of Anthropology/Sociology

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    Sociology curriculum in a South African University: a case study
    (2012) Nyoka, Bongani; Adesina, Jimi
    This study sought to investigate the alleged problem of ?academic dependency?, on the part of South African sociologists, on western scholarship. The stated problem is said to undermine South African sociologists? ability to set their own intellectual and epistemological agenda. Sociology in South Africa is characterised by two issues: ?negations? and theoretical ?extraversion?. In the light of the foregoing claim, the study sought to investigate the underlying epistemological features of sociology curriculum in one of the South African universities. In investigating these issues, the thesis relies on the notion of ?authentic interlocutors? put forward by Archie Mafeje. Literature on transformation of the social sciences in (South) Africa was reviewed. Methodologically, the study assumes a qualitative approach. In order comprehensively to understand the problem under investigation, in-depth interviews were conducted along with a review of course outlines of the selected department of sociology; these, in turn, were subjected to content analysis. Interviewees included, respectively, academic members of staff and postgraduate students. The study concludes by highlighting the ?ontological disconnect?, on the part of South African sociologists, not only with their immediate environment but the rest of the African continent. In maintaining this view, it argues that their ontological and epistemological standpoints only succeed in highlighting their cultural affinity with Euro-American perspectives. The said ontological disconnect and cultural affinity, it is argued, lead to extraverted curricula