Research & Scholarly Contributions
I have established an emerging and impactful body of scholarly work that contributes meaningfully to the field of Sociology, particularly within the domains of education, social justice, and identity construction. My research output includes three peer-reviewed journal articles, two book chapters, and one scholarly book review. These contributions reflect a sustained commitment to advancing critical sociological debates and informing socially responsive pedagogy.
In recognition of the significance and promise of my research, I have been awarded multiple competitive research grants, most notably the prestigious Thuthuka Post-PhD Research Grant (2025–2027) from the National Research Foundation. I have also participated in prominent international research programmes, including a semester as a visiting scholar at West Virginia University (2014) and, more recently, the University of Missouri South Africa Education Program (UMSAEP) exchange (2023) in the United States.
Further underscoring the growing national and international recognition of my scholarship, I played a key role in the successful establishment of a formal inter-institutional research collaboration between the University of the Western Cape and the University of São Paulo in Brazil (2024). I continue to cultivate meaningful research partnerships that not only enrich my academic work but also contribute to broader institutional and global scholarly networks.
2025 – 2027 National Research Foundation's Thuthuka Grant, Grant Number: TTK240506217441, University of the Western Cape
2023 ISA RC 04 (Sociology of Education) Travel Grant, University of the Western Cape
2023 UMSAEP Faculty Exchange to the University of Missouri at Columbia, University of the Western Cape
2022 Loren Frankel Award for Innovation, American Men’s Studies Association, University of the Western Cape
2022 American Sociological Association Emerging Scholars Grant, University of the Western Cape
2016 – 2020 National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS) Scholarship, Grant Number: SDS14/1028, Stellenbosch University
2015 Academy of Finland and Hanken School of Economics Fellowship, Stellenbosch University
2014 National Research Foundation (NRF) Innovation Doctoral Scholarship, Stellenbosch University
2013 Research grant, University of Cape Town
2011–2012 South African Research Chair in Security Studies Master's Scholarship, University of Cape Town
2011 Equity Scholarship for advancing master’s research, University of Cape Town
2007 –2010 National Department of Social Development, University of Cape Town
2007 Merit Scholarship, University of Cape Town
Research Grants and Scholarships
Record of Citations
This serves as evidence of the impact that my research has on the works of others.
Being in and Belonging in the post-apartheid South African University. Presented at the II Kaleidoscope Seminar on Affirmative Actions, hosted by the Universidade Federal do ABC in Sau Paulo, Brazil, 24-26 September 2024.
Audiensciousness: Constructing and Performing Social Identities. Presented at the annual South African Sociological Association congress, hosted by the Department of Social Anthropology and Sociology, Stellenbosch University, 2-4 July 2024.
Schooling Inequalities in South Africa. Presented at the inaugural conference of the South African Sociology of Education Association, hosted by the Department of Sociology, University of the Western Cape, 1-3 April 2023.
Digitizing Sociology: Implications for pedagogy and undergraduate teaching. Presented at the Digital Humanities in Precarious Times conference, hosted by North-West University and the Digital Humanities Association of Southern Africa, River Sun Hotel, 31 October – 4 November 2022
Rieldans, Koordans, en Sexdans: How young men in Namaqualand construct and perform masculinities through dance. Presented at the ‘Dit is ‘n Noord Kaap Ding’ Colloquium. Sol Plaatje University, Kimberley, 17–19 October 2022.
Ubuntu Ethics: Re-humanising social research with socially and economically marginalised Youth in South Africa. Presented (virtually) at the 117th Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association, Los Angeles, California, USA, 5-9 August 2022.
Endangered Species: Coloured Masculinities in Post-Apartheid South Africa. Presented (virtually) at the annual conference of the American Men’s Studies Association, University of Washington, Tacoma, USA, 14-16 June 2022.
Strategic Interventions in Addressing Inequalities in Education - Potentials and Possibilities. Presented (virtually) at the International Sociological Association virtual conference, Porto Alegre, Brazil, 23-28 February 2021.
(re/dis)locating and (re/dis)orientating sociology (for/from) in the fourth industrial revolution: a critical review of the sociology curriculum at 10 universities in South Africa. Presented at the 26th annual South African Sociological Association conference, Southern Sun, Pretoria, 15-17 July 2019.
Ethnographies of people, plants and pedagogy. Presented at a colloquium organised by the Theories of Justice and Inequality programme and the Poverty and Inequality Initiative at the University of Cape Town in association with the Centre for Humanities Research at the University of the Western Cape, University of Cape Town, 27 – 28 October 2018.
Developing a critical pedagogy of hope: Critical reflections and implications for research investigating sexuality diversity in South African schools. Presented at the 25th annual South African Sociological Association conference, University of the Western Cape, Mahikeng, South Africa, 01 - 04 July 2018.
Feelings in the field: Managing emotions, attachment and grief in ethnographic research. Presented at the 24th annual South African Sociological Association conference, North-West University, Mahikeng, South Africa, 02 - 05 July 2017.
The politics of researching ‘sensitive issues’ with minors. NIHSS annual doctoral school, Birchwood Hotel and OR Tambo Conference Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa, 2-3 November 2016.
Decolonizing theory and practice within studies of boys, men and masculinities. Presented at the 23rd annual South African Sociological Association conference, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa, 29 June - 3 July 2016.
Sexual debut in a time of HIV/AIDS. Presented at the 23rd annual South African Sociological Association conference, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa, 29 June - 3 July 2016.
Researching Gender, Race and Schooling: Some critical reflections. Presented at the inaugural doctoral summer school, the Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations, Coventry University, UK, 15th May – 20th May 2016.
[Still] In search of meaning? Critical reflections on Coloured identity in post-Apartheid South Africa. Presented at the 22nd annual congress of the South African Sociological Association, at the University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa, 28th June – 2nd July 2016.
“Ons Praat met die vuiste”: Youth perspectives on school-based violence. Presented at the 22nd annual congress of the South African Sociological Association, at the University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa 28th June – 2nd July 2016.
Researching Sexualities, Gender and Schooling: Methodological and Pedagogic Implications”. Presented at the Feminisms, Power and Pedagogy: 10th Biennial Conference of the Gender and Education Association at the University of Roehampton, London, UK on the 24th - 26th June 2015.
Learner voices on homophobic violence at a Northern Cape high school. Presented at a colloquium hosted by the Centre for Women and Gender studies and the Faculty of Education, at the University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa, 22nd May 2015.
Political Identity, Collective Memories and Citizenship: Recalculating the gains of democracy in South Africa. Presented at the 12th Development Dialogues conference at the International Institute for Social Studies, The Hague, The Netherlands, 16-17 October 2014.
Coloured Masculinities and Schooling. Presented at the 2nd New Voices Conference, at the International Institute for Social Studies, The Hague, The Netherlands, 14th October 2014.
When is enough, enough? The ethical conundrums of researching youth from impoverished communities in rural South Africa. Presented at the Engaging young people in Non-violence and equality colloquium, STIAS, Stellenbosch, South Africa, 29 – 30 September 2014.
A Troubled Race? Deconstruction Coloured Identity in post-Apartheid South Africa. Presented at the Annual South African Sociological Association congress, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa, 6 – 8 July.
Miley Cyrus, Black Bootie and Sex: Making and Remaking Race and Gendered Identities in popular Youth Culture. Presented at the annual South African Sociological Association congress, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa, 6 – 8 July 2014.
A Place to Call Home: An exploration of how homeless youth navigate private and public space. Presented at the Association of American Geographers, Tampa Convention Centre, Tampa, Florida, USA, 8 – 12 April 2014.
Being Cool and doing Cool Research: Developing Creative ways for Researching Youth. Presented at the 2nd annual College of Humanities Post-Graduate Conference and Staff Research Colloquium. Howard College, UKZN, Durban, South Africa, 9 – 10 October 2013.
I’m Homeless, Not Hopeless: Promoting sustainable livelihood strategies among homeless youth – Towards Developmental Social Work. Presented at the Voices for Development, World Conference: Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa, 25 – 27 September 2013.
Breeding Brutality: A Qualitative Exploration into the normalisation of violent subcultures of Homeless Street Youth. Presented at the annual South Africa Sociological Association Congress UNISA, Sunnyside Campus, Pretoria, South Africa, 30 June – 3 July 2013.
The role of student organisations in making university campuses more sustainable. Presented at the inaugural African Green Campus Initiative conference, Lagoon Beach Hotel, Cape Town, South Africa, 21 April 2012.
Towards racial integration at South Africa’s racially segregated university residences. Presented at Student Housing and Residence Life conference, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa, 15 May 2012.