Southern African Humanities

Scope & Guideline

Fostering impactful research across Southern African humanities.

Introduction

Welcome to the Southern African Humanities information hub, where our guidelines provide a wealth of knowledge about the journal’s focus and academic contributions. This page includes an extensive look at the aims and scope of Southern African Humanities, highlighting trending and emerging areas of study. We also examine declining topics to offer insight into academic interest shifts. Our curated list of highly cited topics and recent publications is part of our effort to guide scholars, using these guidelines to stay ahead in their research endeavors.
LanguageEnglish
ISSN1681-5564
PublisherNATAL MUSEUM
Support Open AccessNo
CountrySouth Africa
TypeJournal
Convergefrom 2008 to 2023
AbbreviationSOUTH AFR HUMANIT / South. Afr. Humanit.
Frequency1 issue/year
Time To First Decision-
Time To Acceptance-
Acceptance Rate-
Home Page-
AddressPRIVATE BAG 9070, PIETERMARITZBURG 9070, SOUTH AFRICA

Aims and Scopes

The journal 'Southern African Humanities' serves as a platform for interdisciplinary exploration of the human past in Southern Africa, focusing on archaeological and historical research. It engages with diverse methodologies and theoretical frameworks to provide critical insights into cultural heritage, identity, and social dynamics.
  1. Archaeological Research:
    The journal highlights archaeological investigations across Southern Africa, emphasizing the material culture, settlement patterns, and social organization of past societies.
  2. Historical Analysis:
    It incorporates historical perspectives, analyzing colonial and post-colonial contexts and their impact on contemporary identities and cultural practices.
  3. Cultural Heritage Studies:
    The journal examines issues related to cultural heritage, preservation, and representation of marginalized voices within the historical narrative.
  4. Interdisciplinary Approaches:
    By integrating methodologies from anthropology, history, and archaeology, the journal fosters a comprehensive understanding of Southern African humanities.
  5. Gender and Identity Studies:
    There is a consistent focus on gender dynamics and identity formation within the archaeological record, challenging binary frameworks and exploring nuanced social identities.
The journal has shown a dynamic evolution in its thematic focus, reflecting changing scholarly interests and societal contexts. This section outlines the emerging trends that are gaining traction in recent publications.
  1. Material Culture and Biographies:
    There is an increasing emphasis on the biographies of objects and materials, exploring their roles in trade, identity, and daily life in past societies.
  2. Decolonial Perspectives:
    Emerging themes reflect a shift towards decolonial approaches, challenging established narratives and advocating for the representation of indigenous perspectives in historical discourse.
  3. Gender and Social Dynamics:
    Recent publications indicate a growing interest in the intersection of gender and social dynamics, moving beyond binary frameworks to explore diverse identities and roles in historical contexts.
  4. Integration of Historical Linguistics and Archaeology:
    The journal is increasingly highlighting the integration of historical linguistics with archaeological findings to better understand cultural and linguistic evolution in Southern Africa.
  5. Environmental Archaeology:
    Emerging studies are focusing on human-environment interactions, particularly how climatic changes have influenced settlement and subsistence patterns throughout history.

Declining or Waning

While the journal has seen a range of topics over the years, certain themes appear to be less prominent in recent publications. This section highlights these waning scopes.
  1. Traditional Ethnographic Studies:
    There seems to be a decline in the focus on traditional ethnographic studies that rely heavily on contemporary cultural practices without a strong archaeological or historical context.
  2. Colonial Narratives without Critical Analysis:
    Research that merely recounts colonial histories without critical engagement or exploration of their implications for modern identities and structures is becoming less common.
  3. Biological Anthropology:
    Themes centered on biological anthropology, particularly those focused solely on physical remains without cultural context, are appearing less frequently.

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