Online seminar series: What is the Global South and why it matters - Session 1

An introduction to the ‘Global South’: How it emerged, what it means, and why it is contested

Speaker: Dr Amy Duvenage, Southampton Solent University

‘Global South’ is a contested term. Although it has gained popularity in academic and political discourse, where it is frequently used as a conceptual tool to understand and analyse the contemporary global divide, not everyone thinks that ‘Global South’ is a helpful term. On the one hand, ‘Global South’ has been described as misleading and inaccurate; on the other, unifying and empowering. To open the seminar series, Dr Amy Duvenage will explore the emergence of the term, discuss what it means, and examine why it is contested.

About the speaker

Dr Amy Duvenage is a lecturer in criminology at Southampton Solent University and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). Her work is grounded in decolonial, postcolonial, and Global South epistemologies, with an interdisciplinary orientation that intersects literature, education, gender studies, sociology, and criminology. Her research explores issues of identity, inclusion, and social justice, particularly within the context of post-apartheid South Africa and broader Global South narratives. Amy is the author of Roads to Decolonisation: An Introduction to Thought from the Global South (Routledge, 2024), a text that explores decolonial perspectives and knowledge production outside Eurocentric frameworks.

Across her scholarly work, she consistently draws on and critiques concepts such as ubuntu, using it as a lens to explore gender dynamics, migrant exclusion, pedagogical transformation, and community-building. Amy has contributed chapters to volumes published by Routledge and Springer, and has published articles in journals such as The Journal of Commonwealth Literature, Journal of Criminal Justice Education, Safundi, and Current Writing. Through this body of work, Amy has contributed to ongoing conversations on decolonial education, postcolonial critique, and the politics of belonging.

About the seminar series

The series features speakers from across the world, drawn from social science and social work disciplines who explore how concepts related to the Global South impact policy and practice. The series will be of interest to academics, professionals, students, researchers and policy makers eager to diversify their knowledge and make their professional practice more inclusive. It would appeal to those working in the areas of criminal justice including prisons, probation services and policing, education, nursing, psychology, social science, sociology and social work.

The series is set up to encourage discussion and debate with time for a paper and discussion – so please come along and join the debate! The topics can be found on the Eventbrite link.

The seminar series is chaired by Dr Amy Duvenage and Professor Elaine Arnull, Southampton Solent University, who are happy to hear from you if you have any questions/comments:

Elaine.Arnull@solent.ac.uk

amy.duvenage@solent.ac.uk

Everyone is welcome – whether you are an expert in the area or wanting to hear what the Global South is and what ideas the speakers have about it.