The HSRC's work for the next five years will come together under the theme of 'poverty and inequality: diagnosis
In simple terms, STI (science, technology and innovation) and Stem (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) matter now more than ever. In these disciplines lie the possible solutions to increasingly urgent global challenges in, among others, the areas of healthcare, energy, food and water security.
The social sciences are crucial in enabling durable solutions to these challenges by providing research-based analyses and understanding of how consumers behave, and what changes that behaviour to create new patterns of being and living in communities and nations. Once we have this knowledge as a foundation on which to build, our technological innovations will have greater utility, meaning and purpose for society. In this regard, the social sciences serve as a crucial bridge between insights, analyses and recommendations, and the formulation of policy and tangible solutions that matter to citizens.
Going a step further, social scientists who ask and provide answers to pressing challenges can also predict trends in social conditions and what, if anything, can be done about them. This is the contribution that the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) strives to make to South African society.
Located within the country’s National System of Innovation, the HSRC aims to contribute to how South Africa’s understanding of science and technology, in combination with social innovation, can play a defining role in addressing poverty and inequality.
Although South Africa has, since 1994, been seized with understanding and developing a comprehensive and cohesive response to poverty and inequality, real success evades policymakers. Meanwhile the levels of poverty and inequality increase, with South Africa fast gaining a reputation as being the most unequal society in the world.
To make a decisive contribution towards understanding this complex social and economic reality in South Africa, the HSRC’s work for the next five years will come together under the theme: “poverty and inequality: diagnosis, prognosis, responses”.
Through this we can see that research can drive solutions — both behavioural and technological — that can contribute to social inclusion and cohesion by improving the wellbeing of our citizens. Innovations driven by insights and deep analyses can also facilitate grassroots entrepreneurship, which will inevitably help integrate previously marginalised groups into circuits of economic activities.
Looked at through this lens, we see that contrary to being “boring”, research in the social sciences is fundamental to how we can transform South African society in an enduring manner. It is often said that generations of the future deserve a better tomorrow than that inherited by the current generation, and sound research will help to formulate the responses through policy and innovation that will contribute to a better tomorrow.
Would you like to be part of South Africa’s journey to research-based, sustainable solutions? Visit www.hsrc.ac.za
Real research reports
This is what four young people said about contributing to the country’s transformative journey through the social sciences:
Isabel Magaya
I am captivated by the research-policy nexus and therefore wanted to work in the social science space, because of the vast policy-related research that the HSRC undertakes as well as policy-related interactions it convenes. Exposure to policy-related research has offered me new perspectives and new ways of understanding social issues. I have had the privilege of meeting and interacting with a number of technocrats, and this made me appreciate the complexities and pragmatics of decision-making vis-à-vis pressing social ills and research-based solutions. I have learnt that there is more to decision-making in the policy arena than I had originally imagined.
Having studied law, a career in the social sciences has given me a unique approach to the study of law in my doctoral studies — one that is contextual, comparative and international. I have interacted with linguists, so now I am aware of things such as discourse analysis; I have interacted with economists, demographers, monitoring and evaluation experts, and so forth. Interacting with these experts here at the HSRC has given me a new take on social issues. I no longer just see things from a legal perspective; being in the social sciences has widened my horizons. HSRC’s work offers multiple perspectives on society and informs social and public policy, and this has changed the landscape of human rights for me and my understanding of how people interact.
In light of all of the above, I would want to make scholarly contributions at national and regional level as a policy researcher and/or advocate, especially in the area of children’s rights.
Chanel Van der Merwe
Language has always intrigued me. However, it is as a student of the humanities, that I was exposed to the effect they have on society through various social, political and ideological dimensions. Thus, when I had to choose my specialisation, as a BA graduate from the University of the Western Cape, I chose linguistics. As a tutor witnessing struggling students, I saw my niche area in the field of multilingualism in higher education.
As a master’s research intern, the HSRC has provided me with the opportunity to experience research “on the ground”. With thematic research focused on issues of poverty and inequality, this space has a very clear objective: to do concrete research to ultimately inform policy. Being exposed to multiple social issues has given me new lenses through which to view my research in South African society: most importantly, that research should allow for more engagement than prescription, because knowledge is present at both ends of the interview sheet. It is based on this experience that I aim to investigate, at a grassroots level, how the linguistic resources that students bring to the university can ultimately inform language policy.
As a woman and aspiring academic, I think it is important for women to be at the forefront of these important conversations, not necessarily for issues of gender equality, but for disrupting dominant discourses that don’t belong there in the first place.
Zuziwe Khuzwayo
The HSRC is a renowned institute that focuses on social sciences and humanities research. This was important to me, as I wanted to be part of an organisation that exclusively examines this field. Working at the HSRC has exposed me to different types of research methodologies, and most importantly, on-the-ground experience in terms of conducting research. This has been done through fieldwork, and writing proposals and presentations for conferences. All of these tools have helped me grow as a researcher. I am currently pursuing my PhD studies, focusing on gender issues. The HSRC has exposed me to vast knowledge on gender issues, as well as different research that examines gender. All of this is very important, as I want to be an academic and writer who focuses on gender issues, particularly issues affecting black women, and how we are beginning to express ourselves in spaces that have been previously exclusive for whites and males. Being a black female in this space has also been helpful, as mentors and peers are constantly encouraging me to grow as a researcher and challenge myself.
Bitso Bitso
I joined the HSRC in 2014 as an intern, because I wanted to deepen my understanding of the world of social science research. I specifically targeted the HSRC because of my aspiration to positively influence societal change. I felt that the HSRC would be able to provide a platform to research the complex societal ills that many South Africans endure on daily basis.
Hence, I took a decision to be part of the team that produces evidence that the state requires to inform policy. Ideally, research provides evidence that informs policy decisions. Yet in practice, there is often a disconnect between research and policy. Therefore, my aim is to understand the disparity between research and policy, with a view to finding a solution to the impasse.
The HSRC provides a space that is conducive for interns to progress in their studies, due to the support available from a variety of experts within the institution. Besides this, the HSRC has given me heterogeneous opportunities necessary for scholarly advancement. Since joining them I have been able to participate in research projects through writing proposals, collecting data in the field and carrying out interviews as well as analysing and writing research reports. I have also grown through attending and participating in conferences, and reading scholarly publications, including journal articles and book chapters. I feel more confident now as a scholar, so I don’t regret having made the decision to join HSRC, because of the positive impact it has made on my life and those of ordinary South Africans, particularly the poor and vulnerable.