Ass Prof Kirk Helliker

Ass Prof K. Helliker

Head of Department

BA (Honours), Rhodes University; MA, Memorial University of Newfoundland (Canada); PhD, Rhodes University

E-mail: k.helliker@ru.ac.za

Teaching: Contemporary Social Theory, State and Society, Labour Markets, Theories of Emancipation, Zimbabwean Studies, and Latin American Studies

Research Interests: Agrarian and land reform, civil society and social movements, politics of emancipation

Profile:

I have a Masters degree in Memorial University of Newfoundland in Canada and a PhD from Rhodes University. My main research interests are agrarian-land reform, civil society and theories of social emancipation. My main country focus is Zimbabwe. I teach in both the sociology and economic sociology programmes in the department. I supervise a large number of PhD and Masters students (many of my students’ theses focus on Zimbabwe). I spent twenty years in Zimbabwe, including working in the field of rural development. I rejoined academic life in 2006. I am currently involved in research projects on rural development in South Africa, on neo-liberalising processes in South Africa and on unemployment in the Eastern Cape.

In addition to the following items, I am co-editor of a book on rural development in South Africa which is to be published by Jacana Press in South Africa later in the year, in which I also have a chapter on white commercial farms in South Africa.

Articles and Chapters (since 2007)

Helliker, Kirk (2013), “State and society” in Editorial Collective (ed.) 2013, Sociology: A Southern African Introduction, Cape Town:Juta (forthcoming).

Helliker, Kirk (2013), “Imagining civil society in Zimbabwe and ‘most of the world’” in Ebenezer Obadare, ed. (2013), The Handbook of Civil Society in Africa, New York: Springer (forthcoming).

Helliker, Kirk and Peter Vale (2013), “Marxisms past and present”, Thesis Eleven (forthcoming). 

Helliker, Kirk and Peter Vale (2012), “Radical Thinking in South Africa’s Age of Retreat”, Journal of Asian and African Studies 47(4).

Helliker, Kirk (2012), “Civil Society and State-centred Struggles”, Journal of Contemporary African Studies 30(1).

Murisa, Tendai and Kirk Helliker (2011), “Contemporary Rural Realities” in Kirk Helliker and Tendai Murisa, eds (2011), Land Struggles and Civil Society in Southern Africa, New Jersey: Africa World Press.

Helliker, Kirk (2011), “Land Reform and Marginalised Communities in the Eastern Cape Countryside of Post-Apartheid South Africa” in Kirk Helliker and Tendai Murisa, eds (2011), Land Struggles and Civil Society in Southern Africa, New Jersey: Africa World Press.

Helliker, Kirk (2010), ‘The State of Emancipation: With, Within, Without?”, Interface: A Journal for and about Social Movements2(1), pp. 118-143.

Helliker, Kirk (2009), “Dancing Around the Same Spot? Land Reform and NGOs in Zimbabwe –The Case of SOS Children’s Villages”, African Sociological Review13(2), pp. 101-125.

Sadomba, Wilbert and Kirk Helliker (2009) “Transcending Objectifications and Dualisms: Farm Workers and Civil Society in Contemporary Zimbabwe”, Journal of Asian and African Studies45(2), pp. 209-225.

Helliker, Kirk (2008), “Dancing on the Same Spot: NGOs” in Sam Moyo, Kirk Helliker and Tendai Murisa (eds), 2008, Contested Terrain: Land Reform and Civil Society in Contemporary Zimbabwe, Pietermaritzburg: SS Publishers.

Helliker, Kirk, Sam Moyo and Tendai Murisa (2008), “Introduction” in Sam Moyo, Kirk Helliker and Tendai Murisa (eds), 2008, Contested Terrain: Land Reform and Civil Society in Contemporary Zimbabwe, Pietermaritzburg: SS Publishers.

Helliker, Kirk (2007), “Marx, Weber and NGOs”, South African Review of Sociology, 38(2), pp. 120-133.

Books (authored, edited) (since 2007)

Helliker, Kirk and Tendai Murisa, eds (2011), Land Struggles and Civil Society in Southern Africa, New Jersey: Africa World Press.

Moyo, Sam. Helliker, Kirk and Murisa Tendai. eds (2008), Contested Terrain: Land Reform and Civil Society, Pietermaritzburg: SS Publishers.

Conferences (since 2006)

Helliker Kirk. 2011. “The South African Experience: Land Inequalities and Rural Development”. SANPAD Rural Development Thematic Conference. Beijing, People’s Republic of China, 28^th February – 2^ndMarch 2011.

Helliker Kirk. 2010. “Civil Society in Zimbabwe: Source of Emancipation?”. Paper presented at Progress in Zimbabwe Conference. Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, 4^th-7^thNovember 2010.

Helliker Kirk and Peter Vale. 2009. “Fanon’s Curse: Re-imagining Marxism in South Africa’s Age of Retreat”. Paper presented at XII Annual Conference of the International Association of Critical Realism. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2^3rd-2^5th July 2009.

Helliker Kirk. 2008. “Twice Bitten: Marginalised Communities in the Eastern Cape Countryside of Post-Apartheid South Africa”. Paper presented at IBASE Conference on ‘Expanding Capitalism: Destruction of the Common Goods and Food Sovereignty’. Guatemala City, Guatemala, 11^th-16^thOctober 2008.

Helliker Kirk. 2007. “Land Reform and NGOs in Zimbabwe: The Case of SOS Children’s Villages”. Paper presented at the 2007 African Sociological Association Conference. Grahamstown, South Africa, 15^th-18^thJuly 2007.

Helliker Kirk. 2006. “Glocal Modernities, Land Reform and Intermediary NGOs in Contemporary Zimbabwe”. Paper presented at the 2006 Annual Social Science Conference. Pretoria/Tshwane, South Africa, 27^th-29^thSeptember 2006.

PhD and Masters Students – Graduated

1. PhD Loveness Makonese (2013)
   
   “Coping with HIV and AIDS in marginal communities: a case study of Chivanhu settlement in Nemanwa, Masvingo, Zimbabwe”
   
   
2. PhD Manase Chiweshe (2012)
   
   “Farm level institutions in emergent communities in post-fast track Zimbabwe: case of Mazowe District”.
   
   
3. MA Sipho Nkambule (2013)
   
   “A critical analysis of sustainable human settlement in housing – the case of Hlalani, South Africa”.
   
   
4. MA Takunda Chirau (2013)
   
   “Understanding livelihood strategies of urban women traders: a Case of Magaba, Harare in Zimbabwe”.
   
   
5. MA Tendai Wapinduka (2013)
   
   “Rural livelihoods and adherence to HIV and AIDS antiretroviral therapy in Chivanhu settlement, Nemamwa Village in Masvingo District, Zimbabwe”.
   
   
6. MA Tarryn Alexander (2012) – distinction
   
   “Smashing the crystal ball – post-structural insights associated with contemporary Anarchism and the revision of blueprint utopianism”
   
   
7. MA Gayle Kasere (2012)
   
   “Cash transfers and poverty reduction in South Africa: a case study of old age Pensions”.
   
   
8. MA Loveness Chakona (2012) – distinction
   
   “Fast Track Land Reform Programme and women in Goromonzi District, Zimbabwe”
    
9. MA Eddah Jowah (2010) – distinction
   
   "Rural livelihoods and food security in the aftermath of the fast track land reform in Zimbabwe”

Current PhD Students

1. Ernest Chimuka
   
   Community participation, development and NGOs in Zimbabwe
    
2. Tarryn Alexander
    
3. Loveness Chakona
   
   NGOs and food security in Zimbabwe
    
4. Jonathan Mafukidze
   
   Land and water politics at Mushandike Irrigation Scheme, Masvingo, Zimbabwe
    
5. Tafara Marazi
   
   An investigation into the survival strategies of the elderly in Zimbabwe: a case study of Bulilima District.
    
6. Tendai Mugara
   
   Smallholder farmers, food security and climate change in Zimbabwe
    
7. Takunda Chabata
   
   Rural livelihoods and natural resource utilisation in post-fast track Zimbabwe: the case of Sovelele Resettlement area.
    
8. Innocent Mahiya
   
   Innovation platforms among small scale farmers in Murehwa, Zimbabwe
    
9. Tendai Wapinduka
   
   HIV and AIDS, gender and food security: case study of Grahamstown, South Africa.
    
10. Susan Marimira
     
11. Robert Maseko
     
12. Tafadzwa Chevo
    
    Construction of livelihood strategies in urban areas: the case of households in Budiriro, Harare, Zimbabwe.
     
13. Sean Gukurume
     
14. Takunda Chirau
     
15. Sipho Nkambule
     
16. Sandra Bhatasara
    
    Encountering climate variability: local perceptions and adaptation in rural Zimbabwe.
     
17. Gift Mwonzora
    
    The quest for ‘good governance’ and democracy by political party institutions in Africa: a case of the Movement for Democratic Change in Zimbabwe

Current MA Students
 

1. Wadzanai Takawira
    
2. Adriana Mercadal-Barroso
    
3. Desmond Jaricha
   
   The impact of Government Decentralisation on Land redistribution in the Eastern Cape.
    
4. Allan Mushonga
   
   A sociological analysis of Southern African AIDS Trust’s capacity-development model for organisations responding to HIV and AIDS in southern Africa.
    
5.  Ana Ndlovu
   
   Mozambique state autonomy in the context of the international aid system and European Union budget support.
    
6. Vimbai Chikukwa
   
   Child support grant and poverty in Riebeek East, South Africa
    
7. Matsepo Motsetse
   
   Child support grant and intra-household relations in KwaZuluy-Natal South Africa
    
8. Siya Fobosi
   
   Informal taxi industry in East London  
    
9. Nomzamo Kheswa
   
   Labour process on White commercial farms in South Africa
    
10. Kayla Knight
    
    Rural development and NGOs in Matabeleland, Zimbabwe