Over the rainbow: the role of academics in a 'post-hope' South Africa

Nicole Dodd and Justin Van Der Merwe

International Journal of Education Economics and Development, 2017, vol. 8, issue 2/3, 133-143

Abstract: The proponents of decolonisation in South Africa's higher education system have tended to overlook the usefulness of critical pragmatism as a guiding paradigm. This article explores the merits of critical pragmatism as a suitable research orientation to resolve the current impasse in South Africa's higher education system. While the arguments for decolonising curricula and academic spaces are valid and credible, promoting decolonisation in a blindly ideological manner, without a sound basis, could be impractical. This article argues that the adoption of critical pragmatism would allow for the achievement of a home-grown, credible research paradigm which encourages researchers to apply a context-specific orientation within developing environments. The article tentatively proposes that blending critical theory with pragmatism would support transformation and development while still maintaining scientific rigour.

Keywords: critical pragmatism; critical theory; decolonisation; higher education; paradigms; pragmatism; South Africa. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ids:ijeded:v:8:y:2017:i:2/3:p:133-143

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