Jayshree Thakrar
The last decade has seen an exponential growth in university-community engagement (CE) in South Africa and beyond. Yet, there remains a dearth of research on CE from the perspective of those outside of the university, that is, the ‘community’ and concurrently
within the university, whilst there is a growing discourse on CE, this appears to evade the deeper complex debates of what is a university, what is engagement and who (or what) is the ‘community’? The aim of this study is to critically review university-CE both as a term of function but also in its individual components of university, community and engagement
from the perspective of the university (looking inside-out) and those living in its periphery (looking outside-in). The research is a case study involving selected places in South Africa, Australia and the United States of America and their local universities. Drawing on place-based theory, Morgan’s (2002) model of an engaged university and relational theory within
the overarching framework of post-colonial theory categorizes data collection in terms of: space (interlinked with race); place, in terms of notions of university as a catalyst for social and economic development; and university-community relations with regards to communication, patterns of interaction and alteration over time. What this study reveals is that historically, more often than not, the university had very little to do with those outside of its institutional boundary. Whilst the question of whether community is real, imagined or can be constituted continues to be posed, the desire for community prevails. Moreover, the word ‘community’ acts as a mask hiding what would ordinarily be in plain sight, that is, a critique of who or what the university is engaging with, particularly when an analysis of whom, what, and how academics engage suggests that engagement primarily serves the university. From the perspective of looking outside-in the findings highlight contradictions, misunderstandings, and challenges to the engagement process and experience. CE as a mission remains vulnerable, and whether it can transcend into the very being or spirit of the university remains to be seen. Whilst alternative imaginations of the university are
emerging, these fall short of any real description of organisational change and so a re-imagination
of a new kind of engaged university in the South Africa context is offered.
Supervisors: Professor Gary Minkley
within the university, whilst there is a growing discourse on CE, this appears to evade the deeper complex debates of what is a university, what is engagement and who (or what) is the ‘community’? The aim of this study is to critically review university-CE both as a term of function but also in its individual components of university, community and engagement
from the perspective of the university (looking inside-out) and those living in its periphery (looking outside-in). The research is a case study involving selected places in South Africa, Australia and the United States of America and their local universities. Drawing on place-based theory, Morgan’s (2002) model of an engaged university and relational theory within
the overarching framework of post-colonial theory categorizes data collection in terms of: space (interlinked with race); place, in terms of notions of university as a catalyst for social and economic development; and university-community relations with regards to communication, patterns of interaction and alteration over time. What this study reveals is that historically, more often than not, the university had very little to do with those outside of its institutional boundary. Whilst the question of whether community is real, imagined or can be constituted continues to be posed, the desire for community prevails. Moreover, the word ‘community’ acts as a mask hiding what would ordinarily be in plain sight, that is, a critique of who or what the university is engaging with, particularly when an analysis of whom, what, and how academics engage suggests that engagement primarily serves the university. From the perspective of looking outside-in the findings highlight contradictions, misunderstandings, and challenges to the engagement process and experience. CE as a mission remains vulnerable, and whether it can transcend into the very being or spirit of the university remains to be seen. Whilst alternative imaginations of the university are
emerging, these fall short of any real description of organisational change and so a re-imagination
of a new kind of engaged university in the South Africa context is offered.
Supervisors: Professor Gary Minkley
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Papers by Jayshree Thakrar
Development Plan should be premised on (Eastern Cape Planning Commission, 2012). This article proposes to critically examine the emerging (albeit implicit) philosophical foundation for sustainable human development, which we read as a
combination of consciousness, capability, and rational organisation, and discusses these three interrelating aspects against selected stakeholders of sustainable human development: the State, civic society and the university. We determine that a re-imagination of the Eastern Cape Province would require serious consideration for the reshaping of the
State, a rethinking of the roles and relationships with, and between, civic society, and a review of the third mission
of the university.
Development Plan should be premised on (Eastern Cape Planning Commission, 2012). This article proposes to critically examine the emerging (albeit implicit) philosophical foundation for sustainable human development, which we read as a
combination of consciousness, capability, and rational organisation, and discusses these three interrelating aspects against selected stakeholders of sustainable human development: the State, civic society and the university. We determine that a re-imagination of the Eastern Cape Province would require serious consideration for the reshaping of the
State, a rethinking of the roles and relationships with, and between, civic society, and a review of the third mission
of the university.