The Centre for Social Development in Africa

Annual Report 2011

Annual Report 2010

Annual Report 2009

The Centre of Social Development in Africa (CSDA), located in the Department of Social Work in the University of Johannesburg, was established in 2003 and is dedicated to basic, applied and strategic research in social development and developmental welfare. The CSDA aims to positively influence development issues in the Southern African region through contributing to debates on social policy, improvements in service delivery and the expansion of knowledge through cutting-edge research.

The research team carefully selects strategic, high impact areas of research in order to meaningfully contribute to social development knowledge, theory, practice and policy locally and regionally. These strategic nodes are focused on the needs of local communities and the larger society in a changing regional and global context. The research is strongly partnership driven, using a system of collaboration that marries the CSDA’s research knowledge and expertise with the partners’ local and field-based knowledge to ensure that research outcomes can be immediately and directly applied in appropriate ways.

The CSDA currently has several research projects running. The projects include studies on:

Poverty and Vulnerability
Gender and Development
Children and Youth
Social Policy and Social Welfare
Social Responsibility

The CSDA is directed by Prof. Leila Patel. There are currently three research staff members (Tessa Hochfeld, Lauren Graham and Jacqueline Moodley), two post doctoral fellows (Dr. Marianne Ulriksen and Dr. Eddy Mavungu), 2 research assistants (Aghogho Akpome and Memory Mphaphuli), and a full time administrator (Prema von Reumont). In order to strengthen research capacity, an Honorary Professor (Prof. James Midgley), research fellows (Dr. William Rowland, Dr. Jeanette Schmid, Prof. Lara Allen, and Prof. Eleanor Ross) and research associates (Rayna Taback, Theresa Wilson and Lisa Selipsky) are linked to the CSDA.

Vision

The CSDA is dedicated to basic, applied and strategic research in social development and developmental social welfare. The CSDA strives to be a leading research and social development site in Africa.

The CSDA’s research agenda connects with the needs of local communities/organisations and the larger society in a changing regional and global context. It aims to contribute to improvements in service delivery, policy debate and in the expansion of knowledge through cutting edge disciplinary and interdisciplinary research.

The CSDA’s activities and products are consistent with the vision and mission of the University of Johannesburg and with higher education’s broader mission.

Goals

The goals of the CSDA are to:

1. Produce quality, innovative and relevant research engaged with pressing social welfare
and human development needs and concerns.
2. Integrate research, teaching and community outreach.
3. Optimize research opportunities in nationally and regionally identified thematic
   areas.
4. Build research capacity and leadership in social welfare and development.
5. Promote dialogue between different actors involved with furthering social development
   through hosting seminars, think tanks and ‘action tanks’.
6. Conduct research in collaboration with a range of research partners including post
    graduate students.
7. Build strategic local, national, regional and international research partnerships and
   academic staff and student exchange programmes.