Eddie Webster: advancing democracy through labour activism

Webster is distinguished research professor in the Southern Centre for Inequality Studies (SCIS) and founder and professor emeritus in the Society, Work and Development Institute (Swop) at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits).3 He is the older brother of the late David Webster. He is credited with influencing several generations of sociology students at Wits, transforming the sociology curriculum at the university, and producing a new generation of black sociologists. During the course of his illustrious academic career, Webster authored and co-authored many books and academic articles, and numerous project-related research reports. Through these scholarly achievements, he served as a pioneer of the study of labour in South Africa.