The Institute for Pan African Thought and Conversation, at the University of Johannesburg presents

Township Studies

About

‘Township Studies’ as an area of study, principally speaks to those subjects who have been ‘othered’- that is excluded, marginalised, silenced, criminalised, often rendered dysfunctional, exceptional, and non-normative. In advancing concentrated knowledge production about these global urban zones and its subjects, this intellectual project also aims to bring all of these displaced spaces under one roof, by conceptualising them as integrated and connected unit. 1

Annual Conference

The overall goal of the annual Township Studies conference is to create a platform for scholars, artists, researchers, and policy makers to critically reflect on the themes such as: philosophies, histories, education and intellectual histories; space, place and built environment; music, literature, art, photography, dance and dress; violence, embodiments and moralities; food security, poverty alleviation; protest, resistance, crime and drugs; infrastructure, 4IR and social media; cultures of consumption and enjoyment; families, communities and community structures; social, economic and cultural policies; spiritualities, religion, death and funerals; and health and disease

Networks

Township Studies Research Network (TSRN) was launched at the inaugural Township Studies Symposium held in April 2021. The growing network consists of scholars, artists, writers, researchers, and policymakers from around the world, whose work makes the study and exploration of ‘townships’ the centre of their scholarship, creative outputs and practice. The aim of coming together is to enable interested network members to generate, think, and exchange ideas; create public engagement and publication platforms; imagine, experiment, grow, learn and innovate together; explore research opportunities; establish new research areas; apply jointly for funds; create opportunities to support the new generation of scholars and contribute towards developing knowledge that enables ‘Township Studies’ to flourish and become a new global field of study.