Call for Papers: Engaging silences and unresolved issues in the
political economy of South Africa, 09/06
CALL FOR PAPERS
CONFERENCE TO MARK THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEATH OF HAROLD WOLPE, AND THE
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE HAROLD WOLPE MEMORIAL TRUST
"Engaging silences and unresolved issues in the political economy of South Africa"
September 2006
INTRODUCTION
Harold Wolpe has left a formidable intellectual legacy. It covers a number of fields
relating to the character and modes of functioning of apartheid, the relationship between
race and class, strategies for defeating apartheid, research agendas, education struggles
against apartheid and educational transformation after apartheid, the character of the
transition, amongst others.
The legacy is primarily a theoretical one, showing others a way of seeing things, of
interpreting, often having to re-read oneÕs approach in the light of new phenomena
in the unfolding drama of apartheid and resistance to its institutions. The same legacy
has left tools for evaluating and engaging the transition and transformation.
It is for others to take this forward. While Harold is no longer with us, the legacy of
his work provides clues to possible research programmes, methodologies and paradigmatic
questions that can be part of future research, or themselves be subjected to further
development and interrogation.
Since this conference marks the 10th year after HaroldÕs death it is important
to be faithful to his legacy. However, this does not mean that we need to remain frozen
in engagement with a particular issue or issues that he might have been grappling with.
We can address other questions that have now arisen or on which there have been silences
that need to be broken, silences in WolpeÕs work or in current intellectual
discourse. That is in fact what HaroldÕs legacy is. It is not to focus obsessively
on the same issue, but to identify questions and problems and find ways of uncovering
causalities and connections.
With this in mind, the Harold Wolpe Memorial Trust issues this call for papers for a
conference to be held in September 2006 in South Africa, in order to take WolpeÕs
legacy forward. Through intellectual rigour and robust debate it is hoped that the
conference will contribute towards enhancing the treatment of current South African
problems that are acknowledged, as well as addressing problems that exist but which have
not been publicly noted at all, or done so inadequately by public figures or scholars.
We are looking for contributions that try to break logjams, and address complex and
unresolved issues. We envisage a serious engagement over a two-day period, where a group
of scholars will be engaged in collective efforts in relating to the various
contributions. Consequently, we will allow sufficient time between the deadline for
submission and the time of the conference to give participants the opportunity to read as
many of the papers as they are able to do. We are hoping that the purpose to which this
conference is devoted will encourage a degree of dedication on the part of participants
that will inspire a spirit of collegiality.
CONFERENCE THEMES
Conferences themes include (but are not limited to):
THEME 1: The notion of intellectuals or the intelligentsia
Our concern here is not with moral questions, such as Ôtalking truth to
powerÕ, but with the sociology of intellectuals or the intelligentsia. We invite
papers that respond to the following kinds of questions:
Who is an intellectual in South Africa and who constitutes the intelligentsia(s)? What
role is the intellectual stratum or strata playing? What is their social base or bases?
What is the knowledge with which such people are concerned? Is that body of knowledge all
that ought to be considered, or are there other bodies of knowledge or belief systems
that need more attention? This could include the notion of an Ôoral
intellectualÕ Ð one who communicatesas an intellectual in a purely oral form
Ð in South African and international history, as a phenomenon now and in the past; as
well as the notion of unacknowledged knowledge or knowledges. Is there a gender element
attached to the production and recognition of knowledge?
THEME 2: The adequacy of intellectual engagement in contemporary South Africa
In this regard we call for fresh appraisals of developments in the country in the last
10 to 15 years, issues from previous paradigms and ways of understanding that have not
been addressed, and engagement with the ideas of the current President, Thabo Mbeki:
Intellectual engagement with the transition, providing an adequate explanation of how
it happened and what happened. How adequate are explanations of the process through which
the transition ensued, and how should one characterise the meaning of that moment?
Unfinished business. There are many issues that used to preoccupy the left in the 1980s
that have been left unanswered, instead of asking how they should be addressed in the
current context. In particular we call for papers that consider how the current ruling
bloc (if that is an adequate term) is constituted. Who is this ruling bloc? Insofar as
many intellectuals identified with the theory of colonialism of a special type (CST), to
what extent has this been resolved? What in the current situation is the relationship
between ruling politically and ruling economically? Unpacking the intellectual output of
President Thabo Mbeki as manifested in speeches, columns and other works produced since
1994.
THEME 3: Trajectories of democracy in South Africa
A variety of terms are in use in assessing whether or not democracy has been instituted
or consolidated in Africa and in South Africa. Many of these fall under the umbrella of
Ôgood governanceÕ, a term much favoured by donors and also sometimes used by
the South African government. When one returns to the pre-1990s literature, including
the writings of Harold Wolpe, it is clear that the notions of democracy that many
envisaged went beyond this concept of representative or liberal democracy with
independently monitored elections. A transformatory programme and socialism was often
part of that discourse. Under this theme we invite papers on the following topics:
What is the character of South African democracy and what are its potential
trajectories? To what extent is the trajectory of democracy impacted on by the civil
service? Has the civil service developed a professional culture suited to a progressive
trajectory? Is it a danger to democracy that the ANC enjoys overwhelming electoral
dominance, with little likelihood of another party defeating it for the foreseeable
future? Problematising ÔpluralismÕ as a concept and practice in the
unfoldingof South African democracy. Is the fact that democracy in South Africa was
inaugurated under the auspices of a national liberation movement that had practised armed
struggle, inimical to consolidating and sustaining democracy? Is there a tension and is
it irresoluble, or can it be remedied? What are the consequences of the liberation
movement background for democratic development?
THEME 4: Building a nation in South Africa today
From the early development of the liberation movements and the Communist Party there
has been a literature and much debate over what has been called the Ônational
questionÕ or what constitutes a nation in South Africa. Sometimes treated
synonymously is the question of nationalism, which refers to a movement of people who
share a common sense of belonging, which might or might not aim at establishing a nation.
Under this heading we call for papers which might address questions such as:
What is entailed in building a nation in South Africa? This could involve a historical
review of existing literature over the decades since Union. It could also address the
gendered character of nation formation. How does nationalism differ from what we
understand to be a nation? How has nationalism manifested itself in South Africa and how
does it relate to non-racialism, gender equality and other pertinent issues?
THEME 5: Gender and South Africa
This theme addresses a tension that exists between categories of scholars over the way
in which certain political experiences in South African history and political movements
are characterised, in particular whether they qualify as ÔfeministÕ. In
addition, we ask whether the notion of Ônational liberationÕ inevitably
conflicts with feminist demands. In this context we call for papers on topics such
as:
Feminism or feminisms in South Africa? How the predominance of
ÔmotherhoodÕ as an identity of African women, in entering the political
terrain, impacts on whether such interventions are characterised as feminist. This could
include a review of existing literature. Papers on masculinity or masculinities in South
Africa within the broad theme of the conference. We also invite contributions to the other
themes from a gender or feminist perspective.
THEME 6: Open category
We invite potential contributors to suggest additional political economy topics that
fall within the broad theme of the conference.
SUBMISSION OF ABSTRACTS
Deadline for abstracts: Friday, 2 December 2005
Format of submissions: PresentersÕ details (name, postal address, telephone and
fax numbers, email address) Title and organisational/institutional affiliation (if any)
Title of paper Abstract of a maximum of 500 words in Microsoft Word or Rich Text Format
Indicate to which conference theme(s) the paper is linked
Abstracts should be submitted to Tracy Bailey, National Co-ordinator, at wolpetrust@mweb.co.za.
CONFERENCE INFORMATION
This will be a residential conference covering two days and two nights. The venue is
still to be decided. Our intention is to identify a venue that is outside of the main
cities, congenial to intense discussion.
The conference fee will be R500, which will include accommodation, food and conference
documentation. A 10% discount will be offered for early registration and requests for
subsidisation will be considered. The Harold Wolpe Memorial Trust will also endorse
letters to funders requesting that they meet the travel costs of those whose abstracts
have been accepted.
Full details regarding the conference will be made available in early 2006.
ABOUT THE HAROLD WOLPE MEMORIAL TRUST
The Harold Wolpe Memorial Trust was established in 1996 following the untimely death of
lawyer, activist and scholar, Harold Wolpe. The Trust aims to foster critical engagement
between government, civil society and intellectuals on a range of socio-economic and
political issues facing South Africa in this transformative era. This aim is realised
through a range of activities, including the hosting of regular open dialogue events in
three centres around the country, the organisation of conferences and support for
publication
From: Tracy Bailey
Date: 14 November 2005
<wolpetrust@mweb.co.za>
Page Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar, Ph.D.