South Africa’s apartheid legacy is still hobbling research – a study of geography shows how
Why Read This
What Makes This Article Worth Your Time
Summary
What This Article Is About
Gijsbert Hoogendoorn examines how apartheid’s legacy continues to shape South African academic research three decades after the system officially ended. Through a study of human geography—the discipline studying how space and time influence economic, social, political, and cultural actions—the research reveals that historically advantaged universities (those that served primarily white students) still dramatically outpace historically disadvantaged institutions in research output, both in quantity and quality of publications.
This persistent disparity stems from unequal access to funding, international networks, and collaborative opportunities, creating a self-perpetuating cycle where well-resourced institutions attract more resources while historically Black universities remain “always on the back foot.” The article argues that addressing these inequalities requires deliberate strategies including mentorship programs, inter-institutional collaboration, skills training in grant writing, and fundamentally, difficult conversations about how colonial hierarchies continue to determine whose knowledge is valued and whose perspectives shape policy and development.
Key Points
Main Takeaways
Knowledge Equals Power
Control over knowledge production provides political, economic, and social power with direct effects on education, healthcare, policy, and service delivery.
Colonial Geographic Roots
South African human geography was historically influenced by conservative religious ideas, racial superiority notions, and research supporting apartheid legislation.
Persistent Output Disparities
Research concentration among few historically advantaged institutions creates self-reinforcing cycles of income generation, international networks, and prestige that exclude disadvantaged universities.
Privileged Voices Dominate
South Africa’s academic landscape continues reflecting views of a privileged few, limiting diverse perspectives that could inform government policy and development.
Network Access Matters
International collaborators gravitate toward prestigious institutions, allowing academics lighter teaching loads and more research time while disadvantaged institutions struggle to compete.
Collaboration Over Imposition
Solutions require consulting historically disadvantaged institutions about needed support rather than imposing ideas, alongside mentorship, skills training, and difficult conversations about inequality.
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Article Analysis
Breaking Down the Elements
Main Idea
Colonial Legacies Perpetuate Academic Inequality
The article demonstrates that apartheid’s structural inequalities continue shaping South African academia through persistent disparities between historically advantaged and disadvantaged universities, revealing how colonial hierarchies of knowledge production translate into ongoing imbalances in funding, networks, opportunities, and ultimately, whose perspectives inform national policy and development priorities three decades after formal democratization.
Purpose
To Expose and Advocate
Hoogendoorn seeks to illuminate how seemingly race-neutral metrics like research output actually mask the perpetuation of apartheid-era privilege, while advocating for specific interventions—mentorship, collaboration, skills training, and institutional support—that could begin to level the academic playing field and ensure diverse voices contribute to knowledge shaping South Africa’s future.
Structure
Context → Evidence → Mechanisms → Solutions
The essay establishes why knowledge matters, traces human geography’s colonial roots, presents research findings on output disparities, explains the self-perpetuating mechanisms (networks, funding, prestige) maintaining these hierarchies, and concludes with actionable recommendations for disrupting the cycle—moving from problem identification through causal analysis to practical interventions.
Tone
Academic, Critical & Solution-Oriented
Hoogendoorn maintains scholarly objectivity while clearly critiquing structural inequalities, using disciplinary evidence (publication data, interviewee quotes) to substantiate claims. The tone balances critique with constructive proposals, avoiding both defensive minimization of ongoing disparities and paralyzing pessimism about the possibility of change through deliberate intervention and collaboration.
Key Terms
Vocabulary from the Article
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Tough Words
Challenging Vocabulary
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In a way that is impossible to separate, disentangle, or escape from; fundamentally and inseparably connected or intertwined.
“The history of South African human geography as a discipline is inextricably linked with colonialism.”
Following policies of remaining apart from international affairs, relationships, or alliances; characterized by deliberate withdrawal from engagement with other nations.
“South African academics began re-engaging with global academia after isolationist apartheid policies were lifted.”
Limiting or restricting the progress, development, or effectiveness of something; impeding or hampering movement or advancement.
“South Africa’s apartheid legacy is still hobbling research.”
To cause something to continue indefinitely; to preserve from extinction or preserve in existence by continuous succession.
“Colonial hierarchies continue to perpetuate academic inequality in South African universities.”
A specialized field of study within a larger academic discipline, focusing on a particular aspect or approach within the broader subject.
“This will help to make the sub-discipline more robust and cutting edge.”
Being in a favorable or superior position, particularly in terms of resources, opportunities, or privileges compared to others.
“Universities that were historically more advantaged continue to outpace the country’s other institutions.”
Reading Comprehension
Test Your Understanding
5 questions covering different RC question types
1According to the article, during apartheid, South African human geography research was either deliberately non-political or actively supported apartheid legislation.
2What is the primary mechanism through which historically advantaged universities maintain their research dominance?
3Which sentence best captures why the persistence of apartheid’s academic legacy matters beyond universities themselves?
4Evaluate these statements about post-1994 changes in South African universities:
After 1994, South Africa completely eliminated resource differences between historically advantaged and disadvantaged institutions.
The racial composition of South African universities began changing as institutions opened to students of all races.
Human geographers shifted focus to policy-relevant work supporting post-apartheid economic and spatial development priorities.
Select True or False for all three statements, then click “Check Answers”
5Based on the article, which intervention would most effectively address the core problem Hoogendoorn identifies?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Human geography is the study of how space and time influence economic, social, political, and cultural actions. Hoogendoorn chose this discipline because it’s his specialization and because its history is inextricably linked with colonialism and apartheid—it was heavily influenced by conservative religious ideas and notions of racial superiority, with research either claiming false neutrality or actively supporting apartheid legislation. This makes it an ideal case study for examining how colonial legacies persist in academic structures, as the discipline’s problematic origins mirror broader patterns of how apartheid shaped knowledge production across South African universities.
The cycle operates through interconnected mechanisms: high research output generates income through government subsidies and grants, which funds lighter teaching loads for academics, giving them more time to conduct and publish research, which attracts international collaborators drawn by institutional reputation and resources. These collaborators boost publication output further, generating more income. Meanwhile, historically disadvantaged institutions struggle to enter this cycle, remaining excluded from networks, unable to offer competitive teaching loads, and struggling to attract international partners. One interviewee described this as leaving ‘historically Black institutions always on the back foot,’ with the playing field fundamentally unlevel.
International networks function as gatekeepers to resources and opportunities. Collaborators from overseas gravitate toward historically advantaged universities because of their reputations, histories, and existing resources, making it easier for academics at these institutions to visit international universities and participate in international funding applications. Advantaged universities strategically appoint overseas academics to honorary positions, which boosts their publication outputs and government subsidy income. Meanwhile, researchers at historically disadvantaged institutions report feeling removed from these global and national networks, unable to access the same collaborative opportunities that could help build their research capacity and break the cycle of disadvantage.
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This article is rated Intermediate because while it discusses complex social and historical issues, it maintains relatively accessible language and clear argumentation. The vocabulary includes some academic terms (deleterious, inextricably, isolationist) but these are used in contexts that support comprehension. The structure moves logically from establishing why knowledge matters through historical background to current problems and proposed solutions. Intermediate readers should be able to follow the argument’s progression while building familiarity with academic discourse about institutional inequality, though they may need to pause to process concepts like self-perpetuating cycles of advantage or the relationship between knowledge production and political power.
Hoogendoorn’s emphasis on consultation reflects understanding that apartheid’s legacy isn’t just about resource distribution but about whose knowledge and perspectives are valued. Simply imposing solutions from well-resourced institutions would perpetuate the same colonial dynamic where privileged voices determine what others need. The article stresses that academics from historically disadvantaged universities ‘must be consulted about what kinds of support they need, rather than ideas being imposed.’ This approach recognizes that those experiencing marginalization possess expertise about their own situations and that genuine transformation requires shifting power dynamics, not just redistributing money—building relationships and networks that value diverse perspectives rather than maintaining hierarchies under the guise of assistance.
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