Poverty, Inequality and Development

Poverty, Inequality and Employment

This research area aims to investigate the complex relationships between poverty, inequality and development. Poverty is a multifaceted issue that affects millions of people around the world, often leading to a lack of access to necessities such as food, water, shelter, healthcare, and employment opportunities. Inequality, on the other hand, refers to the unequal distribution of resources, opportunities, and wealth across different segments of society. These two issues are closely intertwined and can exacerbate each other, leading to further economic and social disparities. Development, in this context, refers to the process of creating sustainable economic growth and social progress that benefits all members of society. As reflected in the various research foci in FASS, research in this area involves examining a wide range of factors that contribute to poverty and inequality, including social, political, and economic structures, migration, and employment. The various departments in the Languages, Social Sciences, and Arts focus on topics related to these issues within their respective disciplinary domains.

Research Clusters

Poverty, Inequality, and Development

Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist studies

Race, Culture, and Identity

Language and Society

Health, Welfare, and Human Security

Politics, Governance, and Citizenship

Ethics, Social Justice, and Human Rights

Land, Environment, and Sustainable Development

Conflict, Violence, and Reconciliation

Science, Technology, and Communication

Performance and Visual Arts

Department	Researcher	Areas of focus

English	Dr Megan Jones	Place, space, and Development; Citiness, and urban studies generally, as well as the production of space-time.
	Prof Gustav Visser	Research considers and tourism and development nexus, and tourism studies in general.
Information Science; Centre for Knowledge Dynamics & Decision Making	Dr Edward-John Bottomley	Poor whites and early twentieth-century South Africa, race, philanthropy, and transnational governmentality between the United States and South Africa.
	Dr Guy Lamb	Questions and issues regarding inequality and poverty, with a specific focus on violence, peace, and conflict.
	Prof Pieter Fourie	Global health governance and the political epidemiology of development and inequality.
Psychology	Prof Lou-Marie Kruger	Poverty and mental health, specifically the interface between being poor and being a woman.
	Dr Anthea Lesch	Social and structural inequalities and their impact on the health and well-being of vulnerable and marginalised groups.
	Prof Kopano Ratele	The link between masculinity/fatherhood and inequality, poverty, and unemployment
RADAR	Dr Robyn Pharoah	Low-income communities and living in informal settlements and the need for development planning
SARChi Violent histories & Transgenerational Trauma	Prof Lambert Engelbrecht	Social work and financial capability development of vulnerable households.
Social Work	Prof Marianne Strydom	Structural inequalities within society and the impact on children and families, child and family welfare services.
Sociology & Social Anthropology	Assoc Prof Bernard Dubbeld	Social Theory, Capital and Labour.
	Prof Khayaat Fakier	Women and class and the link between productive and reproductive work and migration.
	Dr Ilse Eigelaar-Meets	The link between migration, human and rural development, and service delivery.
	Dr Jantjie Xaba	Industrial sociology, work organization, restructuring, globalization, empowerment legislation, informal economy and crime.