This week in interdisciplinary humanities and social science research, including philosophy, archaeology, theology, design, and language education.
📊 This week at a glance
🌍 African-led research
Philosopher defines a new kind of epistemic bad actor: the ‘epistemic asshole’
Cameron Boult introduces the concept of an epistemic asshole—someone who is not grossly irrational or hostile to truth, but who shows a stable, entitled disregard for their epistemic relations with others, systematically exploiting epistemic cooperation. This changes how we think about epistemic wrongdoing: it is not just about holding false beliefs or reasoning badly, but about how one treats others as knowers. The implication is that epistemic injustice can be perpetuated by people who are otherwise competent and cooperative in inquiry. For African scholarship, this concept helps name subtle exclusionary behaviours in academic spaces that fall short of outright hostility but still damage knowledge production.
Optimization algorithms are increasingly used for cultural heritage conservation, but a critical review finds gaps
Abdelkader et al. critically analyse how optimization algorithms—mathematical methods that find the best solution among many options—are applied to decision-making in heritage conservation and management. The review shows that while these tools are used across multiple domains, there is no single best algorithm; performance depends on the specific heritage problem and objectives. The implication is that heritage managers must match algorithm choice to context rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all approach. For African heritage sites, which often face unique conservation challenges and resource constraints, this means careful selection and adaptation of methods is essential.
69% of Christians live in the Global South, but theology remains Eurocentric—a new argument for decolonising the discipline
Godfrey Harold synthesises demographic, postcolonial, missiological, and ecclesial evidence to argue that Global South theology is not optional but a theological and missiological imperative. The finding is that despite the demographic shift—approximately 69% of the world’s 2.64 billion Christians live in Africa, Asia, and Latin America—theological education and academic discourse remain anchored in Eurocentric epistemologies. The implication is that theological training must be reoriented to reflect the lived realities and intellectual traditions of the Global South. For African scholars and churches, this validates and demands greater institutional support for locally grounded theological work.
A biblical reflection on Matthew 2:16–18 and Jeremiah 31:15
L. Juliana Claassens offers a reflection bridging the biblical text of Matthew 2:16–18 (the slaughter of the innocents) and Jeremiah 31:15 (Rachel weeping for her children). The abstract is not available, so the specific argument cannot be summarised; the title indicates a sermon-oriented interpretation connecting these passages. Such work matters for African theological reflection on grief, violence, and hope in contexts of suffering.
South African comedy during COVID-19 reveals how lockdown collapsed public and private spheres, forcing men to negotiate contradictory masculinities
Jennalee Donian analyses Alfred Adriaan’s Full Show (2022) to develop the concept of ‘spatial simultaneity’—the collapse of public/private divisions during South Africa’s COVID-19 lockdown that forced men to occupy contradictory masculine positions (authority and dependence, bodily discipline and decline) at once. The finding is that comedy became a public site for processing these tensions. The implication is that humour is not just entertainment but a cultural mechanism for negotiating masculinity in crisis. For African gender studies, this shows how local comedic texts provide rich evidence of how masculinities adapt under systemic stress.
Integrating the Isibheqe Sohlamvu writing system into jewellery design education at a South African university
Khanya Mthethwa examines a 2022 second-year jewellery design project at the University of Johannesburg that incorporated Isibheqe Sohlamvu, a contemporary Indigenous writing system, into students’ design processes. Through artefact-based analysis of one student’s journey, the study shows how Indigenous knowledge can be practically integrated into design education. The implication is that decolonising design curricula is not just about content but about method and material practice. For African design educators, this offers a concrete example of how to centre Indigenous systems in studio teaching.
🔬 Global breakthroughs
Pride and shame mediate the link between classroom environment and English learning engagement among Chinese adolescents
Guo, Tang, and Liu find that achievement emotions—specifically pride and shame—mediate the relationship between the classroom environment and how engaged adolescent English-as-a-foreign-language learners are. The study focuses on secondary-level learners, extending prior work that mostly examined tertiary students. The implication is that teachers should attend to emotional climate, not just instruction, to boost engagement. For African language classrooms, where similar dynamics may operate, this highlights the role of emotions in learning.
Strategy as Practice research turns 30, with a new continuum from humanist to post-humanist approaches
Richard Whittington proposes a continuum for Strategy as Practice (SAP) research, stretching from humanist to post-humanist perspectives, thirty years after the field’s first article in Long Range Planning. Post-humanism—which decentres human actors to include non-human agents like AI and climate systems—is increasingly relevant. The implication is that SAP can renew itself by engaging with these emerging realities. For African management scholars, this opens space to consider how local, non-Western ontologies might inform strategy research.
Meta-analysis confirms enjoyment strongly predicts second/foreign language learning across 80 studies
Chen, Dewaele, and Zhou conducted a three-level meta-analysis of 80 empirical studies with 43,599 participants and 147 effect sizes, finding that enjoyment plays a significant role in second/foreign language learning. This updates and overcomes limitations of earlier meta-analyses. The implication is that fostering enjoyment should be a core goal in language teaching, not a byproduct. For African language educators, this reinforces the importance of positive emotional experiences in multilingual classrooms.
Reassessment of ancient purple-dye production reveals a 300-year gap in the Eastern Mediterranean
Golan Shalvi uses Tel Shiqmona, an Iron Age industrial site, to define granular criteria for identifying purple-dye production, revealing a 300-year gap in the archaeological record. This challenges previous assumptions about the continuity and shift of production from the Aegean to the Levant. The implication is that methodological precision is crucial for tracing ancient industries. For African archaeologists, this underscores the value of detailed site-specific criteria in reconstructing trade and craft histories.
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