Ph.D. (LSE)

Background and research interests

• Social psychological research into identity and difference, particularly in relation to race and gender in African contexts.
• Social identity theories, social representations, postcolonial psychology.
• Community psychology, consciousness, empowerment and resistance.
• Multimedia methods for social psychological research, such as Photovoice.

Teaching responsibilities

• Critical Psychology
• Postcolonial Psychology

Selected publications

Kessi, S. & Boonzaier, F. (forthcoming). Resistance and transformation in postcolonial contexts. In Howarth, C. & Andreouli, E. (Eds.), Everyday Politics. Routledge.

MacLeod, C., Bhatia, S., & Kessi, S. (forthcoming). Postcolonialism and psychology : Growing interest and promising potential. In Willig, C. & Stainton-Rogers, W. (Eds.), SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research in Psychology.

Kessi, S. & Cornell, J. (2015). Coming to UCT: Black students, transformation, and discourses of race. Journal of Student Affairs in Africa. In press.

Kessi, S. (2015). Xenophobia and the politics of citizenship and belonging in South Africa. Wiser Conference on Xenophobia, 3-5 June 2015. Johannesburg Workshop in Theory and Criticism (JWTC). In press.

Kessi, S. & Howarth, C. (2015). Social change and continuity: connecting reflexivity and community development. In G. Marsico, R. Ruggieri & S. Salvatore (Eds.), The Yearbook of Idiographic Science. Volume 6: Reflexivity and Change in Psychology. Information Age Publishing.

Kessi, S. & Kiguwa, P. (2015). Social psychology and social change: Beyond western perspectives. Papers on Social Representations, 24(1): 1.1-1.11.

Kessi, S. (2015). Picturing change: A review of the exhibition ‘Photovoice, community empowerment and street-based prostitution’. JENdA: A Journal of Culture and African Women’s Studies, 26, 119-127.

Howarth, C., Andreouli, E., Kessi, S. (2014). Social representations and the politics of participation. In K. Kinnvall, T. Capelos, H. Dekker, & P. Nesbitt-Larking (Eds.), The Palgrave Handbook of Global and Political psychology. Palgrave Series in Political Psychology.

Kessi, S. (2013). Re-politicizing race in community development: Using postcolonial psychology and Photovoice methods for social change. PINS, 45, 17-35.

Kessi, S. (2013). Transforming previously white universities: Students and the politics of race representation. New Agenda: South African Journal of Social and Economic Policy, issue 50.

Howarth, C., Wagner, W., Kessi, S., Sen, R. (2012). The Politics of moving beyond prejudice. Behavioural and Brain Sciences, 35(6), 27-28.

Kessi, S. (2011) Photovoice as a practice of re-presentation and social solidarity: Experiences from a youth empowerment project in Dar es Salaam and Soweto. Papers on Social Representations, 20(1), 7.1-7.27.

Kessi, S. & Boonzaier, F. (2015). All Rhodes lead to Enlightenment. Mail & Guardian, May 2015.

Kessi, S. (2015). Decolonizing the University. Sunday Independent, April 2015.

Kessi, S & Meyer, I. (2014). The psychology of a nation’s political transformation. Cape Argus, December 2014.

Kessi, S. (2011). Women work hard but their rewards are few. Sunday Independent, 15 October 2011.