Johannesburg Institute for Advanced Study

🚨 IMPORTANT TIME UPDATE 🚨

Please note that the JIAS Writing Fellowship Seminar with Prof. Xolela Mangcu will now begin at 17:30, instead of 18:00 as previously communicated.

The Sociology of Biography – Theory and Method

How can biography help us better understand history, society, and the individuals who shape it?

Join us as Prof. Xolela Mangcu, Professor of Sociology and History at George Washington University, explores the theory and method of biography and its role in understanding social and political life. Drawing on his extensive scholarship and experience as a biographer, Prof. Mangcu reflects on biography as a powerful intellectual tool for examining leadership, historical change, identity, and the relationship between individuals and society.

Updated Event Details
📅 Date: 18 June 2026
🕠 Time: 17:30
📍 Venue: JIAS, 1 Tolip Street, Westdene, Johannesburg (In-person & Online)

🔗 RSVP: https://forms.office.com/r/g9TWYbmUS7?origin=lprLink

💻 Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/99405637803?pwd=9xMKJlsKOPvoPdWQ9hqaCqCKTrfcdT.1
Meeting ID: 994 0563 7803
Passcode: 924764

We look forward to welcoming you to what promises to be a thought-provoking discussion on biography, scholarship, and the craft of telling lives.

Highlights from the Writing Fellowship seminar, “Democratic Despotism: Finding W.E.B. Du Bois in South Africa,” presented by Dr Mosa M. Phadi.

The seminar explored how the scholarship of W.E.B. Du Bois can be mobilised to better understand contemporary South Africa, with a focus on themes such as class formation, the state, local governance, and the sociological histories of ideas.

We extend our sincere appreciation to Dr Phadi for her valuable insights and thought-provoking analysis, and to everyone who attended and contributed to the discussion. Your engagement continues to foster meaningful dialogue on some of the most pressing social and political questions of our time.

We look forward to welcoming you at our upcoming session.

RSVP for upcoming session: https://forms.office.com/r/g9TWYbmUS7?origin

The Sociology of Biography – Theory and Method

How can biography help us better understand history, society, and the individuals who shape it?

Join us for a JIAS Writing Fellowship seminar with Prof. Xolela Mangcu, Professor of Sociology and History at George Washington University, as he explores the theory and method of biography and its role in understanding social and political life.

Drawing on his extensive scholarship and experience as a biographer, Prof. Mangcu reflects on biography as a powerful intellectual tool for examining leadership, historical change, identity, and the relationship between individuals and society.

Event Details:
📅 Date: 18 June 2026
🕕 Time: 17:30 for 18:00
📍 Venue: JIAS, 1 Tolip Street, Westdene, Johannesburg (In-person & Online)

🔗 RSVP: [ https://forms.office.com/r/g9TWYbmUS7?origin=lprLink ]
💻 Zoom: https://zoom.us/launch/jc/99405637803

Meeting ID: 994 0563 7803
Passcode: 924764

We look forward to welcoming you to what promises to be a thought-provoking discussion on biography, scholarship, and the craft of telling lives.

Democratic Despotism: Finding W.E.B. Du Bois in South Africa

How can the ideas of W.E.B. Du Bois help us better understand contemporary South Africa?

Join us for a JIAS Writing Fellowship seminar with Dr Mosa M. Phadi, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology, as she explores how Du Bois’s scholarship can be mobilised to examine class formation, the state, local governance, and the sociological histories of ideas in South Africa.

Drawing on her extensive research and engagement with Du Bois’s work, Dr Phadi reflects on the relevance of his intellectual legacy for understanding democracy, power, inequality, and social change in the South African context.

Event Details:
📅 Date: 11 June 2026
🕒 Time: 15:00 – 17:00
📍 Venue: JIAS, 1 Tolip Street, Westdene, Johannesburg (In-person & Online)

🔗 RSVP link [ https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/Pcx4QbWe08?origin=lprLink ]

Yesterday, JIAS hosted a thought-provoking seminar, “When Will We Say No? Socio-Cultural Norms that Entrench Gender-Based Violence (GBV),” presented by Professor Shahana Rasool.

The discussion explored the complex realities faced by women experiencing domestic violence and examined the socio-cultural norms, expectations, and barriers that shape help-seeking decisions and responses to abuse.

We thank Professor Rasool for sharing her valuable insights and expertise, and extend our sincere appreciation to everyone who joined us and contributed to this important conversation. Your engagement helps foster meaningful dialogue on addressing gender-based violence and advancing social justice.

When Will We Say No? Socio-Cultural Norms that Entrench Gender-Based Violence (GBV)

This seminar explores how women experiencing domestic violence navigate the complex process of seeking help and leaving abusive relationships.

Drawing on interviews with women survivors, Professor Shahana Rasool examines why many remain reluctant to utilise formal support systems despite the existence of legislation and services designed to protect and support them. The discussion considers the socio-cultural norms, expectations, and barriers that shape women’s responses to abuse and influence their help-seeking decisions.

Professor Shahana Rasool is a scholar, activist, and academic in the field of gender-based violence. She is a Full Professor at the University of Johannesburg, Vice-President of the Association of Schools of Social Work in Africa (ASSWA), and the African representative on the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW). Her research focuses on gender-based violence, social policy, and social justice.

Event Details:
📅 Date: Thursday, 4 June 2026
🕒 Time: 15:00 – 17:00
📍 Venue: JIAS, 1 Tolip Street, Westdene and Zoom (Hybrid)

RSVP link [ https://forms.office.com/r/4jFiD1dyA4?origin=lprLink ]

JIAS recently hosted a thought-provoking seminar by Professor Donette Francis, 2026 JIAS Writing Fellow.

Drawing on the work of visual artist Charles Humes Jr., the seminar explored how mosaic collages and watercolours can serve as both a call for and an instantiation of repair, challenging histories of accumulation that have shaped Miami’s urban and rural geographies.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for this engaging discussion on art, place, and the cultural politics of the African Diaspora.