Keyword: society

Stop Blaming the 'Skills Gap' for the Unemployment Crisis in South Africa

Picture: Hive Health Media Video The skills gap or skills mismatch argument blames education for the lack of jobs, when instead, it is a crisis of capitalism that has caused the high levels of unemployment in South Africa, and in many other parts of the world, including Southern Europe, argues Salim Vally, co-editor of a new book, Education, Economy and Society. It's a false argument and an ideological hoax to say that we have the jobs but not the skills. Vally also challenges the conventional assumption that education...

The Risk Society: What It Means for the Idea of Progress and Saving the Planet

Picture: Anil Jadhav Saliem Fakir - The outbreak of the new swine flu virus in Mexico has raised alarm bells and panic across the world. It is another of those incidents pointing to how precarious our world can get when it is subject to sudden knocks and risk. Where we thought we had tamed nature, it continuously proves us wrong. More than one risk coming at the same time multiplies the strain, shows up our vulnerabilities and stretches our ability to respond collectively. Some would describe this as a Kafkaesque experience...