Contrapuntal Curriculum and Epistemic Transformation in South African Universities
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| Title: | Contrapuntal Curriculum and Epistemic Transformation in South African Universities |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Aslam Fataar (ORCID |
| Source: | Transformation in Higher Education. 2025 10. |
| Availability: | AOSIS. 15 Oxford Street, Durbanville, Cape Town, 7550 South Africa. Tel: +27-21-975-2602; Fax: +27-21-975-4635; e-mail: publishing@aosis.co.za; Web site: https://thejournal.org.za/index.php/thejournal |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 10 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Evaluative |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Foreign Countries, Universities, College Curriculum, Curriculum Development, Cross Cultural Studies, Indigenous Knowledge, Epistemology, Social Justice, Equal Education, Racial Segregation, Inclusion, Educational Change, Traditionalism |
| Geographic Terms: | South Africa |
| ISSN: | 2415-0991 2519-5638 |
| Abstract: | This article calls for a fundamental reconstitution of the South African university curriculum through a contrapuntal lens that centres epistemic justice. Drawing on Edward Said's concepts of worldliness and contrapuntal reading, it argues that dominant knowledge systems must be brought into critical and sustained dialogue with the subjugated epistemologies they have historically excluded. Rather than conceiving the curriculum as a neutral repository of inherited content, the article positions it as a site of ongoing epistemic contestation and structural exclusion. It revisits the Mafeje, Makgoba, and Mamdani affairs as key historical flashpoints that exposed the university's deep-seated resistance to African and Global South intellectual traditions, often under the guise of safeguarding academic preparedness and institutional standards. The analysis then turns to the post-apartheid shift towards skills-based and managerialist curriculum models. While framed as inclusive and pragmatic, these models have narrowed the curriculum's scope, sidelining historical critique, ethical reflection, and epistemic diversity in favour of throughput, market readiness, and technical proficiency. In response, the article then explores the marginalised intellectual and cultural contributions of enslaved and indigenous communities at the Cape. Their vernacular literacies, oral traditions, and relational knowledge practices are presented as generative resources for curriculum renewal. The article concludes by proposing five guiding principles: epistemic redistribution, plural reasoning, relational pedagogy, problem-centred learning, and assessment for justice. Together, these offer a framework for reimagining the university as a democratic and socially responsive space of inclusive knowledge making. Contribution: The article advances a contrapuntal curriculum framework that reconstitutes South African university knowledge structures through historical critique and epistemic justice. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1489881 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 CustomLinks: – Url: https://eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=EJ1489881 Name: ERIC Full Text Category: fullText Text: Full Text from ERIC |
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| Header | DbId: eric DbLabel: ERIC An: EJ1489881 AccessLevel: 3 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Contrapuntal Curriculum and Epistemic Transformation in South African Universities – Name: Language Label: Language Group: Lang Data: English – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Aslam+Fataar%22">Aslam Fataar</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6880-9223">0000-0002-6880-9223</externalLink>) – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Transformation+in+Higher+Education%22"><i>Transformation in Higher Education</i></searchLink>. 2025 10. – Name: Avail Label: Availability Group: Avail Data: AOSIS. 15 Oxford Street, Durbanville, Cape Town, 7550 South Africa. Tel: +27-21-975-2602; Fax: +27-21-975-4635; e-mail: publishing@aosis.co.za; Web site: https://thejournal.org.za/index.php/thejournal – Name: PeerReviewed Label: Peer Reviewed Group: SrcInfo Data: Y – Name: Pages Label: Page Count Group: Src Data: 10 – Name: DatePubCY Label: Publication Date Group: Date Data: 2025 – Name: TypeDocument Label: Document Type Group: TypDoc Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Evaluative – Name: Audience Label: Education Level Group: Audnce Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink> – Name: Subject Label: Descriptors Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Universities%22">Universities</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22College+Curriculum%22">College Curriculum</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Curriculum+Development%22">Curriculum Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cross+Cultural+Studies%22">Cross Cultural Studies</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Indigenous+Knowledge%22">Indigenous Knowledge</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Epistemology%22">Epistemology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+Justice%22">Social Justice</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Equal+Education%22">Equal Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Racial+Segregation%22">Racial Segregation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Inclusion%22">Inclusion</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Change%22">Educational Change</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Traditionalism%22">Traditionalism</searchLink> – Name: Subject Label: Geographic Terms Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22South+Africa%22">South Africa</searchLink> – Name: ISSN Label: ISSN Group: ISSN Data: 2415-0991<br />2519-5638 – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: This article calls for a fundamental reconstitution of the South African university curriculum through a contrapuntal lens that centres epistemic justice. Drawing on Edward Said's concepts of worldliness and contrapuntal reading, it argues that dominant knowledge systems must be brought into critical and sustained dialogue with the subjugated epistemologies they have historically excluded. Rather than conceiving the curriculum as a neutral repository of inherited content, the article positions it as a site of ongoing epistemic contestation and structural exclusion. It revisits the Mafeje, Makgoba, and Mamdani affairs as key historical flashpoints that exposed the university's deep-seated resistance to African and Global South intellectual traditions, often under the guise of safeguarding academic preparedness and institutional standards. The analysis then turns to the post-apartheid shift towards skills-based and managerialist curriculum models. While framed as inclusive and pragmatic, these models have narrowed the curriculum's scope, sidelining historical critique, ethical reflection, and epistemic diversity in favour of throughput, market readiness, and technical proficiency. In response, the article then explores the marginalised intellectual and cultural contributions of enslaved and indigenous communities at the Cape. Their vernacular literacies, oral traditions, and relational knowledge practices are presented as generative resources for curriculum renewal. The article concludes by proposing five guiding principles: epistemic redistribution, plural reasoning, relational pedagogy, problem-centred learning, and assessment for justice. Together, these offer a framework for reimagining the university as a democratic and socially responsive space of inclusive knowledge making. Contribution: The article advances a contrapuntal curriculum framework that reconstitutes South African university knowledge structures through historical critique and epistemic justice. – Name: AbstractInfo Label: Abstractor Group: Ab Data: As Provided – Name: DateEntry Label: Entry Date Group: Date Data: 2025 – Name: AN Label: Accession Number Group: ID Data: EJ1489881 |
| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1489881 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Languages: – Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 10 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries Type: general – SubjectFull: Universities Type: general – SubjectFull: College Curriculum Type: general – SubjectFull: Curriculum Development Type: general – SubjectFull: Cross Cultural Studies Type: general – SubjectFull: Indigenous Knowledge Type: general – SubjectFull: Epistemology Type: general – SubjectFull: Social Justice Type: general – SubjectFull: Equal Education Type: general – SubjectFull: Racial Segregation Type: general – SubjectFull: Inclusion Type: general – SubjectFull: Educational Change Type: general – SubjectFull: Traditionalism Type: general – SubjectFull: South Africa Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Contrapuntal Curriculum and Epistemic Transformation in South African Universities Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Aslam Fataar IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 01 Type: published Y: 2025 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 2415-0991 – Type: issn-electronic Value: 2519-5638 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 10 Titles: – TitleFull: Transformation in Higher Education Type: main |
| ResultId | 1 |
