Community engagement research in South Africa Methods, theories, histories and practice

Universities across the world strive to be engaged institutions whose purpose is to foster positive social change through teaching, research and community engagement. The integration of these roles may sometimes hinder authentic engagement. Community engagement research in South Africa: histories, methods, theories and practice proposes a transformative model for engagement, in which societal involvement is the driving force behind all activities of the university. This overarching focus serves to blur the divisions between the core higher education and training activities as research becomes more community-based and teaching prepares students to be agents to be informed by research through teaching and learning, and to be agents for positive social change in all spheres of life.
This idea is explored throughout the book, with chapters written by renowned community engagement practitioners and scholars of various disciplines. Contributions map community engagement interventions in the intersections of fields such as education, the social sciences, psychology, health, planning, engineering and architecture. They share best practices and draw from theoretical scholarship and practical experience, innovative ways of conceptualising, establishing and “community experiencing” projects. Based on original research, contributors encourage thought of modelling the practical implementation of community engagement at universities.
Elize S van Eeden is an NRF-rated researcher and professor of History and Deputy Director in the School of Social Sciences at the Vanderbijlpark campus of the North-West University. Her research interests are Regional history (also in multidisciplinary contexts), History teaching practices and regional studies in ecohealth & wellbeing research. She is author and editor of leading publications in Regional histories and in History teaching, including Teaching & Learning History and Geography in the South African Classroom, published by Van Schaik Publishers.
Irma Eloff is a professor of Educational Psychology and former dean of Education at the University of Pretoria. She is a guest professor at the University of Innsbruck, Austria. As a registered psychologist her research focuses on sustainable development, quality of life and wellbeing.
Hanlie Dippenaar is an associate professor in the Department of English (Faculty of Education) at the Wellington campus of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. She has published widely on language acquisition, pre-service teacher training, service-learning and community engagement.