The fabric of dissent: public intellectuals in South Africa

What are public intellectuals? What is their role in social, cultural, political, and academic contexts? What compels them to put forward their ideas? The rich tapestry created in The Fabric of Dissent helps to answer these questions. Offering concise portraits of some seventy-five influential South African public intellectuals, past and present, the book not only showcases an astonishing array of achievements, but also explores the context, influences, and unique tensions shaping each individual's life and bears testimony to their continuing relevance.

Authors

Publication Details

Journal
Human Science Research Council SA
Published
2026-05-22
DOI
https://doi.org/10.14749/32377905
Primary Topic
South African History and Culture
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

The fabric of dissent: public intellectuals in South Africa

Human Sciences Research Council
Human Science Research Council SA
South African History and Culture
article

The fabric of dissent: public intellectuals in South Africa

Human Sciences Research Council
article en

Abstract

What are public intellectuals? What is their role in social, cultural, political, and academic contexts? What compels them to put forward their ideas? The rich tapestry created in The Fabric of Dissent helps to answer these questions. Offering concise portraits of some seventy-five influential South African public intellectuals, past and present, the book not only showcases an astonishing array of achievements, but also explores the context, influences, and unique tensions shaping each individual's life and bears testimony to their continuing relevance.

Human Science Research Council SA
Reduced inequalities
Openalex Percentile: Top 3%
South African History and Culture
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The fabric of dissent: public intellectuals in South Africa — Human Sciences Research Council · Human Science Research Council SA (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS