Lisa Thompson

Professor Thompson currently oversees the New Forms of Citizenship Research Programme which includes a quantitative survey of perceptions of governance, democracy and development in selected poor urban areas of the western Cape (Cape Town) and KwaZulu Natal. Together with Ndodana Nleya (Researcher within ACCEDE) forms of participation and activism in Khayelitsha are a particular area of focus. Qualitative research projects include indepth fieldwork on the role of grassroots organizations in enhancing the capacity of citizens to claim socio-economic and political rights in Khayelitsha, together with Ina Conradie, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Social Development, School of Government. We are interested in the way that community structures access forms of governance at different levels, whether these forms are self generated or externally generated, and how the different forms of organisation (including local government structures) help communities to enhance the socio-economic and political aspirations (or not). The research has benefitted from the inputs and collaboration of Ranjita Mohanty, at present and ACCEDE postdoctoral researcher, who has done extensive research on these themes in the Indian context. A coparative project on the role of women leaders has begun as of 2010. A recent working paper (December 2010) has been published on the role of the South African National Civics Association (SANCO) and the Khayelitsha Development Forum (KDF) (see publications for a free copy).

Publications in the last five years

Thompson, L, and Matheza, T. 2005. Migrants and Service Delivery in Khayelitsha: A Gendered Analysis.’ EMS/VLIR Working Paper Series, Occasional Paper No 2.

Thompson, L. 2005. Managing Mobilisation? Participatory Processes and dam building in South Africa, the Berg River Project.’, IDS Working Paper 254.

Thompson, L. and Leysens, A. 2005. ‘The evolution of the Global Political Economy,’ in McGowan, P. Nel, P. and Cornellisson, S. Power, Wealth and Global Equity: An International Relations Textbook for Africa (second edition). Juta: Cape Town.

Thompson, L. 2007. “The Contradiction between Globalisation and Development: A Perspective from southern Africa” in Bowles, P., Veltmeyer, H., Scarlett Cornellisson, S,. Invernizzi, N. and Tang, K. (eds). Regional Perspectives on Globalisation, London: Palgrave MacMillan (peer reviewed).

Thompson, L. (ed) 2007. Participatory Governance? Citizens and the State in South Africa.  Cape Town:  Monograph. African Centre for Citizenship and Democracy, University of the Western Cape.

Thompson L, 2008. Marginalisation and Mobilisation: the case of the Berg Water Project, Transformation, Vol 68, 1 (peer reviewed).

Thompson, L. and Nleya, N. 2008. The Policy Implications of the Millenium Development Goals and service delivery at the national and local levels, Africanus, Vol 38, No 2 (peer reviewed).      

Thompson, L and Nleya, N. 2009. Survey methodology in violence prone Khayelitsha, Cape Town, South Africa, IDS Bulletin, Vol 40, No 3 (peer reviewed).

Mehta, L. Thompson. L. and Nleya, N. 2010. “Water Rights and State Management in India and South Africa” in Thompson, L and Tapscott, C, (eds) 2010. Citizens and Social Movements: Perspectives from the Global South, Zed Press: London (peer reviewed).

Thompson, L. and Nleya, N. 2010. “Passitivity or Protest? Understanding the Dimensions of Mobilisation on Rights to Services in Khayelitsha, Western Cape” in Von Lieres, B. and Coelho, V. S. Mobilising for Democracy? London: Zed Books (peer reviewed)

Thompson, L. and Tapscott, C. (eds). 2010. “Introduction: mobilisation and social movements in the South- the challenges of inclusive governance”, in Citizens and Social Movements: Perspectives from the Global South, London: Zed Books (peer reviewed).

Parpart, J. and Thompson, L. 2010. “Engendering (In)Security and Conflict in African International relations”, in Cornellison, S. Cheru, F and Shaw, T. (eds). Africa and International Relations in the 21st century, London: Palgrave (peer reviewed).
Thompson, L and Nleya, N. 2010. Community Activism and Protest in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, Working Paper, No 4, University of the Western Cape: African Centre for Citizenship and Democracy Publication.

Mohanty, R, Thompson, L. and Schatten Coelho, V. 2010. States of Mobilisation? A comparison of Modes of Interaction between states and social actors in India, Brazil and South Africa, Monograph, University of the Western Cape: African Centre for Citizenship and Democracy Publication.