Abstract
The aim of this research, as part of this Special Issue on the thematic and epistemological foci of social science and humanities research emanating in the BRICS countries, is to investigate and to assess the value of such research— firstly, for the BRICS countries mutually, then for the rest of the Global South as well as for the global humanities and social science community at large. The rationale of this research is that the BRICS countries have come to assume a growing gravitas in the world, not only on strength of geography, demography and economy; but also because of the diversity contained in each of these BRICS countries. These diversities offer opportunities to learn a lot from each other, in addition the rest of the gamut of countries in the Global South as well as the nations of the Global North can benefit much from learning from the experience of the BRICS countries. The research commences with a survey of the most compelling societal trends shaping the 21st Century world, which will form the parameters of the context in which scholarship in the social sciences and humanities are destined to be conducted. The state of scholarship in the humanities and the social sciences and the imperatives of context will be the next topic under discussion. Within this landscape, the potential role of research on BRICS soil is then turned to. The BRICS countries are surveyed, then a conclusion is ventured as to their potential as a fountainhead for social sciences and humanities research.
Highlights
The modern world is dynamical, changing, challenging and competitive (Friedman, 2009; Rosa, 2005)
This makes for all countries to seek possibilities for cooperation and learning from each other, especially when solving some pressing national issues (Forrestier & Crossley, 2015; Ivenicki, 2020; Kamens, 2012; Lane & Kinser, 2013; Pinger, 2017). One of such cooperation blocks is the BRICS association of five countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa), a group of five developing countries and emerging market economies with, given their geographic and demographic weight, and demographic and economic trends, are set to become major players in global politics. It is the thesis of this research that their growing gravitas in the world on strength of geography, demography and economy; and the diversity contain in each of the BRICS countries mean, that can they learn a lot from each other, and both the rest of the gamut of countries in the Global South as well as the Western nations can benefit much from learning from the experience of the BRICS countries
Wolhuter et al (2011) studied Comparative and International Education students’ reasons for enrolling in the course of Comparative and International Education in six sovereign countries, and found that these motivations are unique in each country, and can be related to the national context in which students found themselves. It seems that scholars in the Social Sciences and Humanities would be well advised, in the interpretation of the results of their studies, to use silos of similar contexts as a conduit or interim station when searching for regularities, as the subjects of Social Studies defy the iron or universal laws found in the Natural Sciences
Summary
The modern world is dynamical, changing, challenging and competitive (Friedman, 2009; Rosa, 2005). The response of the United Nations that is the global community in its organised form was to formulate the Seventeen Sustainable Development Goals as the international community’s vision for the world of 2030 (United Nations, 2019-2) As such, these Seventeen Goals — and the whole concept of “sustainable development” — will strongly impact the activities of scholars in the social sciences and humanities in the decade. The role of the state in the economy became reduced, and market forces became more dominant This neo-liberal economic revolution has hit all five BRICS countries suddenly and forcefully the past forty years, albeit in different ways (see Brock, 2013: 157-176). Other social trends include the rise of multicultural societies and the empowerment of minorities These can be traced back to the increased mobility of people, the ICT revolution, and the rise of the Creed of Human Rights. After the 9/11 terrorist attack, it seems as if the philosophy of multiculturalism and the pedagogy of multicultural education have been superseded by a philosophy of interculturalism and the pedagogy of intercultural education all over the world (including in BRICS countries) (see Avenicki, 2019). Markou (1997) explains the four principles of intercultural education: Education with empathy, which means showing deep understanding for others, and trying to understand their position; Education with solidarity, which means that an appeal is directed to the cultivation of a collective conscience, and the promotion of social justice; Education with intercultural respect; and Education with ethicist thinking, which assumes the presence of dialogue
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