Abstract
Social relations, institutional arrangements and cultures bequeathed by
South Africa’s system of apartheid continue be felt in the present despite the
country’s formal transition to democracy almost 25 years ago. Race, class and
gender inequities continue to structure South African society in ways that have
proven intransigent to change, leading to growing frustration and widespread
public dissatisfaction expressed in multiple arenas including worker strikes,
service delivery and university student protests. While it is clear that social
structures inherited from the past are difficult to change, it is also the case that
change does happen. In this paper, we discuss the findings of a hermeneutic
phenomenological study with 10 academics at one historically white university in
South Africa, who have been agents of change within their particular context...