My research focuses on issues related to difference, prejudice, diversity, inclusion, and transformation in organisations and communities. I have a particular interest in discursive leadership as a catalyst for change.
This article uses a fictionalised encounter as the basis for an autoethnographic exploration of t... more This article uses a fictionalised encounter as the basis for an autoethnographic exploration of the intersections between the South African social value of ubuntu and the notion of spatial justice. Ubuntu describes the interconnectedness of human lives. It asserts that a person is only a person through other people, a recognition that calls for deep respect, empathy and kindness. Ubuntu is expressed in selfless generosity and sharing. The spatial turn in the social sciences and humanities has resulted in a concern with the relationship between space and justice. It recognises that space is not simply an empty container in which people live and act, but is something that is constructed by social relations – and simultaneously constitutive of them. While this recognition gives rise to spatial perspectives on justice, what constitutes spatial, justice, as distinct from other notions of justice, and how such justice is to be achieved are contested. Building on the work of legal scholar,...
This article explores the current state of the social value of ubuntu. The notion of ubuntu seems... more This article explores the current state of the social value of ubuntu. The notion of ubuntu seems to offer possibilities for nation building and social cohesion in post-Apartheid South Africa.However, this is contested by scholars who argue that the concept is vague and open to abuse.Interviews reveal that, whilst core elements remain, the meaning of ubuntu has been eroded,and is subject to distortion and even abuse. Ubuntu exists tightly interwoven with un-ubuntu. The notion of liminality is introduced to understand the current state of both ubuntu and South African society in transition. A liminal space offers possibilities for the creative re-imaginingand recovery of ubuntu as a social value that can drive social transformation in South Africa.The lens of discursive leadership offers insight into the ways in which leaders can stimulate and shape ubuntu discourse and facilitate the construction of new meaning in society.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The ...
A significant leadership challenge for the 21st century is the shaping of relations between group... more A significant leadership challenge for the 21st century is the shaping of relations between groups characterised by difference, whether this difference is ethnic, cultural or religious. This chapter engages with a discursive perspective on leadership to explore the role of leaders, including religious leaders, in shaping inter-group relations between South Africans and foreign migrants.
This article uses a fictionalised encounter as the basis for an autoethnographic exploration of t... more This article uses a fictionalised encounter as the basis for an autoethnographic exploration of the intersections between the South African social value of ubuntu and the notion of spatial justice. Ubuntu describes the interconnectedness of human lives. It asserts that a person is only a person through other people, a recognition that calls for deep respect, empathy, and kindness. Ubuntu is expressed in selfless generosity and sharing. The spatial turn in the social sciences and humanities has resulted in a concern with the relationship between space and justice. It recognises that space is not simply an empty container in which people live and act, but is something that is constructed by social relations – and simultaneously constitutive of them. While this recognition gives rise to spatial perspectives on justice, what constitutes spatial justice, as distinct from other notions of justice, and how such justice is to be achieved are contested. Building on the work of legal scholar, Andreas Philippopoulos-Mihalopoulos, on spatial justice, I argue that the notion of ubuntu is able to shape our understanding of spatial justice, and when practised it is able to disrupt space and challenge dominant spatial configurations.
This article explores the current state of the social value of ubuntu. The notion of ubuntu seems... more This article explores the current state of the social value of ubuntu. The notion of ubuntu seems to offer possibilities for nation building and social cohesion in post-Apartheid South Africa. However, this is contested by scholars who argue that the concept is vague and open to abuse. Interviews reveal that, whilst core elements remain, the meaning of ubuntu has been eroded, and is subject to distortion and even abuse. Ubuntu exists tightly interwoven with un-ubuntu. The notion of liminality is introduced to understand the current state of both ubuntu and South African society in transition. A liminal space offers possibilities for the creative re-imagining and recovery of ubuntu as a social value that can drive social transformation in South Africa. The lens of discursive leadership offers insight into the ways in which leaders can stimulate and shape ubuntu discourse and facilitate the construction of new meaning in society.
Unfolding Narratives of Ubuntu in Southern Africa, 2019
John Eliastam’s “The Outsider” is based on his doctoral research, which investigated how meaning... more John Eliastam’s “The Outsider” is based on his doctoral research, which investigated how meaning was being constructed with regard to foreign migrants living in South Africa’s townships and informal settlements in contexts of extreme poverty. South African communities have experienced levels of antipathy towards foreign migrants since the transition to democracy in 1994. This incipient hostility erupted into widespread violence in May 2008, when 62 foreign nationals were killed, around 700 injured, and an estimated 35 000 foreigners were driven from their homes. What has been termed xenophobia has simmered in communities around South Africa since then. Occasionally, this violence has escalated to levels where it threatens to approach the scale of the 2008 violence, such as that perpetuated against foreigners in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal provinces in January and April of 2015 respectively. Eliastam listened to the stories of people living in a rural and an urban community in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa between 2013 and 2015.
The story of Samakhab, a Somali migrant who has come to the fictional town of Ubuntuville to escape conflict in his country, is used to explore the boundaries of Ubuntu in South Africa. Samakhab’s house was burned down and his wife and child died in the fire. This is a realistic scenario in the South African township environment and the fictionalised version is vivid and horrible. The complex issues of belonging and fear render this a gripping tale. Ubuntu highlights the interconnectedness of human beings, with the implication that people should treat others as part of the extended human family. However, the ongoing violence against foreign migrants suggests that certain groups may be excluded from the scope of its benefits. Ubuntu is simultaneously present and absent in the community and its members. Concrete acts of goodness are juxtaposed with the darkness of violence and murder, locating both sets of actions within the same people and exploring what this tells us about Ubuntu.
Unfolding Narratives of Ubuntu in Southern Africa, 2019
An introductory chapter in the book, Unfolding Narratives of Ubuntu in Southern Africa, which des... more An introductory chapter in the book, Unfolding Narratives of Ubuntu in Southern Africa, which describes the method that is used for reporting on the research on the African philosophy and social value of ubuntu that is the subject of the book.
This article uses a fictionalised encounter as the basis for an autoethnographic exploration of t... more This article uses a fictionalised encounter as the basis for an autoethnographic exploration of the intersections between the South African social value of ubuntu and the notion of spatial justice. Ubuntu describes the interconnectedness of human lives. It asserts that a person is only a person through other people, a recognition that calls for deep respect, empathy and kindness. Ubuntu is expressed in selfless generosity and sharing. The spatial turn in the social sciences and humanities has resulted in a concern with the relationship between space and justice. It recognises that space is not simply an empty container in which people live and act, but is something that is constructed by social relations – and simultaneously constitutive of them. While this recognition gives rise to spatial perspectives on justice, what constitutes spatial, justice, as distinct from other notions of justice, and how such justice is to be achieved are contested. Building on the work of legal scholar,...
This article explores the current state of the social value of ubuntu. The notion of ubuntu seems... more This article explores the current state of the social value of ubuntu. The notion of ubuntu seems to offer possibilities for nation building and social cohesion in post-Apartheid South Africa.However, this is contested by scholars who argue that the concept is vague and open to abuse.Interviews reveal that, whilst core elements remain, the meaning of ubuntu has been eroded,and is subject to distortion and even abuse. Ubuntu exists tightly interwoven with un-ubuntu. The notion of liminality is introduced to understand the current state of both ubuntu and South African society in transition. A liminal space offers possibilities for the creative re-imaginingand recovery of ubuntu as a social value that can drive social transformation in South Africa.The lens of discursive leadership offers insight into the ways in which leaders can stimulate and shape ubuntu discourse and facilitate the construction of new meaning in society.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The ...
A significant leadership challenge for the 21st century is the shaping of relations between group... more A significant leadership challenge for the 21st century is the shaping of relations between groups characterised by difference, whether this difference is ethnic, cultural or religious. This chapter engages with a discursive perspective on leadership to explore the role of leaders, including religious leaders, in shaping inter-group relations between South Africans and foreign migrants.
This article uses a fictionalised encounter as the basis for an autoethnographic exploration of t... more This article uses a fictionalised encounter as the basis for an autoethnographic exploration of the intersections between the South African social value of ubuntu and the notion of spatial justice. Ubuntu describes the interconnectedness of human lives. It asserts that a person is only a person through other people, a recognition that calls for deep respect, empathy, and kindness. Ubuntu is expressed in selfless generosity and sharing. The spatial turn in the social sciences and humanities has resulted in a concern with the relationship between space and justice. It recognises that space is not simply an empty container in which people live and act, but is something that is constructed by social relations – and simultaneously constitutive of them. While this recognition gives rise to spatial perspectives on justice, what constitutes spatial justice, as distinct from other notions of justice, and how such justice is to be achieved are contested. Building on the work of legal scholar, Andreas Philippopoulos-Mihalopoulos, on spatial justice, I argue that the notion of ubuntu is able to shape our understanding of spatial justice, and when practised it is able to disrupt space and challenge dominant spatial configurations.
This article explores the current state of the social value of ubuntu. The notion of ubuntu seems... more This article explores the current state of the social value of ubuntu. The notion of ubuntu seems to offer possibilities for nation building and social cohesion in post-Apartheid South Africa. However, this is contested by scholars who argue that the concept is vague and open to abuse. Interviews reveal that, whilst core elements remain, the meaning of ubuntu has been eroded, and is subject to distortion and even abuse. Ubuntu exists tightly interwoven with un-ubuntu. The notion of liminality is introduced to understand the current state of both ubuntu and South African society in transition. A liminal space offers possibilities for the creative re-imagining and recovery of ubuntu as a social value that can drive social transformation in South Africa. The lens of discursive leadership offers insight into the ways in which leaders can stimulate and shape ubuntu discourse and facilitate the construction of new meaning in society.
Unfolding Narratives of Ubuntu in Southern Africa, 2019
John Eliastam’s “The Outsider” is based on his doctoral research, which investigated how meaning... more John Eliastam’s “The Outsider” is based on his doctoral research, which investigated how meaning was being constructed with regard to foreign migrants living in South Africa’s townships and informal settlements in contexts of extreme poverty. South African communities have experienced levels of antipathy towards foreign migrants since the transition to democracy in 1994. This incipient hostility erupted into widespread violence in May 2008, when 62 foreign nationals were killed, around 700 injured, and an estimated 35 000 foreigners were driven from their homes. What has been termed xenophobia has simmered in communities around South Africa since then. Occasionally, this violence has escalated to levels where it threatens to approach the scale of the 2008 violence, such as that perpetuated against foreigners in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal provinces in January and April of 2015 respectively. Eliastam listened to the stories of people living in a rural and an urban community in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa between 2013 and 2015.
The story of Samakhab, a Somali migrant who has come to the fictional town of Ubuntuville to escape conflict in his country, is used to explore the boundaries of Ubuntu in South Africa. Samakhab’s house was burned down and his wife and child died in the fire. This is a realistic scenario in the South African township environment and the fictionalised version is vivid and horrible. The complex issues of belonging and fear render this a gripping tale. Ubuntu highlights the interconnectedness of human beings, with the implication that people should treat others as part of the extended human family. However, the ongoing violence against foreign migrants suggests that certain groups may be excluded from the scope of its benefits. Ubuntu is simultaneously present and absent in the community and its members. Concrete acts of goodness are juxtaposed with the darkness of violence and murder, locating both sets of actions within the same people and exploring what this tells us about Ubuntu.
Unfolding Narratives of Ubuntu in Southern Africa, 2019
An introductory chapter in the book, Unfolding Narratives of Ubuntu in Southern Africa, which des... more An introductory chapter in the book, Unfolding Narratives of Ubuntu in Southern Africa, which describes the method that is used for reporting on the research on the African philosophy and social value of ubuntu that is the subject of the book.
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to offer possibilities for nation building and social cohesion in post-Apartheid South Africa.
However, this is contested by scholars who argue that the concept is vague and open to abuse.
Interviews reveal that, whilst core elements remain, the meaning of ubuntu has been eroded,
and is subject to distortion and even abuse. Ubuntu exists tightly interwoven with un-ubuntu.
The notion of liminality is introduced to understand the current state of both ubuntu and South
African society in transition. A liminal space offers possibilities for the creative re-imagining
and recovery of ubuntu as a social value that can drive social transformation in South Africa.
The lens of discursive leadership offers insight into the ways in which leaders can stimulate
and shape ubuntu discourse and facilitate the construction of new meaning in society.
The story of Samakhab, a Somali migrant who has come to the fictional town of Ubuntuville to escape conflict in his country, is used to explore the boundaries of Ubuntu in South Africa. Samakhab’s house was burned down and his wife and child died in the fire. This is a realistic scenario in the South African township environment and the fictionalised version is vivid and horrible. The complex issues of belonging and fear
render this a gripping tale. Ubuntu highlights the interconnectedness of human beings, with the implication that people should treat others as part of the extended human family. However, the ongoing violence against foreign migrants suggests that certain groups may be excluded from the scope of its benefits. Ubuntu is simultaneously present and absent in the community and its members. Concrete acts of goodness are juxtaposed with the darkness of violence and murder, locating both sets of actions within the same people and exploring what this tells us about Ubuntu.
to offer possibilities for nation building and social cohesion in post-Apartheid South Africa.
However, this is contested by scholars who argue that the concept is vague and open to abuse.
Interviews reveal that, whilst core elements remain, the meaning of ubuntu has been eroded,
and is subject to distortion and even abuse. Ubuntu exists tightly interwoven with un-ubuntu.
The notion of liminality is introduced to understand the current state of both ubuntu and South
African society in transition. A liminal space offers possibilities for the creative re-imagining
and recovery of ubuntu as a social value that can drive social transformation in South Africa.
The lens of discursive leadership offers insight into the ways in which leaders can stimulate
and shape ubuntu discourse and facilitate the construction of new meaning in society.
The story of Samakhab, a Somali migrant who has come to the fictional town of Ubuntuville to escape conflict in his country, is used to explore the boundaries of Ubuntu in South Africa. Samakhab’s house was burned down and his wife and child died in the fire. This is a realistic scenario in the South African township environment and the fictionalised version is vivid and horrible. The complex issues of belonging and fear
render this a gripping tale. Ubuntu highlights the interconnectedness of human beings, with the implication that people should treat others as part of the extended human family. However, the ongoing violence against foreign migrants suggests that certain groups may be excluded from the scope of its benefits. Ubuntu is simultaneously present and absent in the community and its members. Concrete acts of goodness are juxtaposed with the darkness of violence and murder, locating both sets of actions within the same people and exploring what this tells us about Ubuntu.