Acta Academica, Critical views on society, culture and politics

Abstract

From text: Acta Academica has been in existence for more than 30 years. During this time the political and social world around us has changed. South Africa is a 20-year-old democracy; globalisation has prompted redefinitions of culture and identity; new manifestations of the political are emerging in different countries; technology is challenging the classical separation between the publicsphere and the private realm; financial crises are pointing to the urgent need to re-examine the bases of capitalist production. At the same time academia is being permanently re-invented not always in palatable and productive ways, and the very conceptualisation of university education is under scrutiny. It seems only natural that under these circumstances a journal that is based at a university that is also undergoing profound institutional change should stop to think about its focus, its public and its purpose.