POWER DYNAMICS AND SUBALTERNS’ ORGANISING IN AN INFORMAL SETTLEMENT - A PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH IN SOUTH AFRICA

Sep 2, 2026

Explores how power dynamics shape subaltern organising in South Africa’s informal settlement context through a participatory action research approach. Analyzes the omissions and exclusions produced by mainstream frameworks, including epistemic violence dilemmas affecting subaltern women. Develops an integrated place-based understanding of sustainability, participation, and civil society, using the power cube framework across national, municipal, neighbourhood, and gender-based dimensions. Documents methodological stages, positionality, ethics, and data production, including Covid-19 and post-fire organising.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryPresentations

FormatDOCX

Pages257

Reading Time1 h 30 min

AccessFree to download

Chapter I- Introduction

Research background

Research process and contributions to knowledge

Research question and aims

Structure of the thesis

Chapter II- The omissions of the subalterns and informality in mainstream CMS

The exclusion of the subalterns

The Subaltern Urbanism Paradigm

The political and contended meanings of participation

Chapter III- Toward an integrated and place-based oriented approach of the subaltern organising

Sustainability re-examined

Civil Society Organisations for social change

The diverse and contingent politics of organising in informal settlements

Chapter IV- Methodology

Research philosophy and assumptions

Methodology, ethics, and strategy

Fieldwork and data production

Chapter V- Power dynamics and the subalterns’ context in Magangeni

Power dynamics: Context and Findings

Analysis

Chapter VI- Gender-Based Violence and organising in Magangeni informal settlement

Self-identified challenges

Analysis

Chapter VII- Power dynamics and subalterns organising amidst the pandemic

Self-identified challenges

Analysis

Chapter VIII: Power dynamics and organising after the fire

Narrative accounts of the fire

POWER DYNAMICS AND SUBALTERNS’ ORGANISING IN AN INFORMAL SETTLEMENT: A PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH IN SOUTH AFRICA By: Juan Pablo Winter Sepúlveda A thesis submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Sheffield Faculty of Social Sciences School of Management March 2022 Table of Contents Page Abstract 9 Acknowledgements 10 List of Abbreviations 12 Chapter I- Introduction 13 Research background 13 1.1.1 The Other’s representation and discourse 13 1.1.2 The South African administrative division and the ward committees 16 1.2 Research process and contributions to knowledge 18 1.2.1 The research origins 18 1.2.2 Data production in different stages 19 1.2.3 Change of plans: The Covid-19 outbreak 21 1.3 Research question and aims 22 1.4 Structure of the thesis 23 Chapter II- The omissions of the subalterns and informality in mainstream CMS 26 2.1 The exclusion of the subalterns 27 2.1.1 The epistemic violence dilemma of subaltern women 29 2.2 The Subaltern Urbanism Paradigm 30 2.3 The political and contended meanings of participation 32 2.3.1 Participation as a double-edged sword 32 2.3.2 The politics of participation in development 34 2.4 Conclusion 35 Chapter III- Toward an integrated and place-based oriented approach of the 37 subaltern organising 3.1 Sustainability re-examined 38 3.1.1 The social dimension of sustainability 38 3.1.2 A fully integrated application of sustainability 41 3.2 Civil Society Organisations for social change 43 3.2.1 Non- Governmental Organisations (NGOs) 43 3.2.2 Community-Based Organisations (CBOs) 46 3.2.3 Social movements 47 3.2.4 Beyond fixed organisational categories 50 3.2.5 Civil society as a space for counter- hegemonies 51 3.2.6 Analysing Civil Society: The ‘power cube framework’ 52 3.3 The diverse and contingent politics of organising in informal settlements 54 3.3.1 Social action and community development 54 3.3.2 ‘Everyday resistance’ and ‘quiet encroachment’ 56 3.4. Conclusion 60 Chapter IV- Methodology 61 4.1 Research philosophy and assumptions 61 4.2 The research question, aim and objectives 64 4.2.1 Research question 64 4.2.2 Aim and objectives 67 4.3. Methodology, ethics, and strategy 67 4.3.1 Critical participatory action research and the shift from emancipation to participation 68 4.3.2 Quality, Validity and Ethics in PAR 70 4.3.3 Challenges of PAR: building relationships and power-sharing 72 4.3.4 Narrative inquiry within PAR 74 4.4 Fieldwork and data production 75 4.4.1 My positionality 77 4.4.1.1 My relationship with UTFS 78 4.4.1.2 My relationship with the participants of Magangeni 79 4.4.2 The first of three stages of data production 81 4.4.3 Stage Two: the interpreter as a co-researcher 87 4.4.4 Stage Three: a team of co-researchers led from abroad 88 4.4.4.1 The remaining interviews 88 4.4.4.2 Integrating participatory data collection and participatory analysis 89 4.4.5 Data analysis: Computer Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis (CAQDA) 94 4.5 Conclusion 96 Chapter V- Power dynamics and the subalterns’ context in Magangeni 97 5.1 Power dynamics: Context and Findings 98 5.1.1 Levels of power 102 5.1.1.1 The national level of power 102 5.1.1.2 The municipal level of power 104 5.1.1.3 The neighbourhood level of power 106 The municipal-neighbourhood power dynamics: The River Rehabilitation Project 107 5.1.1.5 CoI stakeholders 110 5.1.2 Spaces of power 113 5.1.3 Forms of power 116 5.1.3.1 Visible forms of power 117 5.1.3.2 Hidden forms of power 118 5.1.3.3 Invisible forms of power 119 5.2 Analysis

FAQs

What research approach and study setting guide the thesis?

The study uses participatory action research and focuses on organising in South Africa’s informal settlement context, with fieldwork in Magangeni.

How does the thesis explain power dynamics affecting subaltern organising?

It analyses power across multiple levels and dimensions, applying the power cube framework to identify spaces and forms of visible, hidden, and invisible power.

How are gender-based violence and the pandemic incorporated into the analysis?

Gender-based violence is examined through levels, spaces, and forms of power, followed by attention to women’s organising trajectories. The pandemic is treated as an organising context shaped by lockdown restrictions and related epistemic violence.

Sep 2, 2026

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