Engaged and Activist Scholarship for Socio-Economic Development in South Africa: A Conceptual Appraisal

The debate around scholarship (engaged and activist) is new in South Africa. Currently, the practice of engaged scholarship and activist scholarship is poor or quasi-inexistent, yet, it is believed that these two approaches can contribute to human rights activism which favours socio-economic development. This paper identifies the patterns and principles of engaged scholarship and activist scholarship and their connection with socio-economic development. It argues that effective engaged and activist scholarship programmes can contribute to and facilitate socio-economic development. Thus, the paper suggests a model outlining four key principles forming a conceptual framework for an effective engaged scholarship and a supporting activist scholarship model that facilitates the awareness and participation of communities in socio-economic development efforts.