What’s in a conference theme? Some reflections on critical realist research and its emergence in Africa over a period of 20+ years

ABSTRACT

In keeping with the 2021 IACR Conference theme (Re) Envisaging Emancipatory Research, Science and Practice, this paper reviews over fifty instances of critical realist research in Africa which have sought to establish emancipatory research praxis by using critical realism to underlabour a range of applied studies in a diversity of disciplines and countries. The initiators of this research have been drawn to critical realism for several reasons, most notably its return to ontology, its interest in transformed, transformative praxis, and its potential for addressing knowledge and experiences exclusions. The paper ends with a reflection on ‘What's in a Conference Theme', returning to the earlier 2012 IACR conference hosted in Africa, and the 2021 conference’s focus on emancipatory research. It argues both for the deepening of conversations between critical realism and Africana Critical Theory; and for the grounding of these conversations in the voices and power of the people in our communities.

KEYWORDS:

• applied critical realism
• return to ontology
• dialectical critical realism
• Africana critical theory

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 See Price and Lotz-Sisitka (2015) for an edited volume of some of the early work emerging from this research centre.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Heila Lotz-Sisitka

Heila Lotz-Sisitka, Distinguished Professor of Education and South African Research Chair: Global Change and Social Learning Systems works on transformative social learning and green skills learning pathways in areas of biodiversity, the water-food nexus, climate change, social and environmental justice, and just sustainability transitions. Among her recent books are 'Critical realism, environmental learning and social-ecological change' (2015) edited with Leigh Price, and 'Environmental ethics: A sourcebook for educators' (2022) co-authored with Bob Jickling, Lausanne Olvitt, Rob O'Donoghue, Ingrid Schudel, Dylan McGarry and Blaire Niblett.