Professor Katherine Burns, from the Reproductive Health and HIV Research Unit at Wits, introduced Towards Gender Equality: South African Schools during the HIV and AIDS Epidemic, at the book’s launch earlier this week at Ike’s Bookshop in Durban, by saying that for a slim book, the text displays a “rich range of thinking”.
She noted that the editorial team, comprising academics Robert Morrell, Debbie Epstein, Elaine Unterhalter, Deevia Bhana and Lebo Moletsane, brought many case studies from schools into their work – which fill the book with anecdotes in addition to analysis. She also observed that the “scythe” of HIV/AIDS hangs over the work, commending the team on their “constant engagement with NGOs, policy groups and teachers” in the course of their research.
Burns noted that the book is not always hopeful in tone: rather, it portrays the vulnerability and confusion of teachers in SA, many of whom have sad stories to tell. On the other hand, there are many instances of humour in the book, albeit always girdled with a sense of responsibility, so that the research “moves across schooling spaces in complex ways”. She congratulated the team on their “clear, felicitous use of language, which obviates jargon” and said the book is an extraordinary account of “what is holding our country together”, commenting on its “almost novelistic” quality. In conclusion, she said, “it’s short, but big enough to move the cheese”.
Following on from Burns, editor Robert Morrell said that the book is about “hope, democracy and difficulty”. He said he wanted the teachers involved in the case studies to appreciate what was in the book, as their goodwill had been essential to the project. Deevia Bhana took over from here, saying that it had been difficult to talk to young children about issues relating to sexuality, but also extremely rewarding from a research perspective.
The launch was well attended, and smoothly facilitated by the Ike Books’s team.
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