SWOP to become an institute

The Sociology of Work Unit has been granted the status of an institute in recognition of the critical role it plays in producing groundbreaking social science research on the world of work. The new status has been accompanied by a change in name to the Society, Work and Development Institute, to reflect the new research themes that underpin the new vision and research programme. With the support of the Wits Foundation, the Institute is on a drive to raise funds for a full-time director to secure the permanence of the Institute.

According to Professors Eddie Webster and Sakhela Buhlungu, Directors of the Unit, "Institute status is necessary to show the strategic niche area which the Unit has grown to occupy in its global networks and as a key knowledge producing entity in the University".

The new research focus will incorporate a sharper focus on the interface between work, society and development while incorporating previous themes.

"We believe the time has arrived for us to turn this research network into a vibrant, scholarly, internationally recognised Institute. Our evidence-led research programmes will contribute to grounding the dynamic relationship between work restructuring, household reproduction, state developmental strategies and the contested notions of social citizenship in a globalising southern Africa," say the duo.

Over the past 23 years, the programme has established a local, regional and international reputation for high quality research. This is demonstrated by it becoming the African site of the International Labour Organization initiated Global Labour University as well as ongoing collaborative research projects with colleagues from South America, North America, Australia, Korea, Europe and southern Africa.

The Institute will continue to fulfil its strong commitment to building a new generation of social researchers. Currently, two postgraduate externally-funded training programmes are underway to support this vision and the aim is to produce at least 10 high-level researchers over the next two years. As a highly-regarded research authority, the Institute also provides tailored training programmes for labour, business, government and other stakeholders wanting to utilise their expertise. The Institute is a ‘must visit' on the itinerary of international sociology scholars visiting South Africa.

Buhlungu maintains that the centrality of the world of work remains the core focus of the Institute's research agenda. "The world of work shapes everything, our identities are around work and it gives structure to our lives, everything else flows from there back to the household, the community and the rest of the world."

Source: Wits News.