School of Politics and International Studies

Research Interests

My research interests include South African politics, the international political economy of labour, civil society, democratisation, populism, party systems and African politics more broadly. My thesis examined the relationship between class and nationalist politics in post-apartheid South Africa and, in particular, the relationship between the trade unions and the ruling party.

Teaching

I teach on the following undergraduate modules:

• Making of the Global South
• Development and Social Change
• Contemporary Development Issues

PhD Supervision

I welcome proposals in the areas of:

• African politics
• African political economy
• South African politics and society
• China in Africa
• Labour and globalisation

Key Publications

Peer Reviewed Publications

• Alexander Beresford 2009 "Comrades 'Back on Track'? The Durability of the Tripartite Alliance in South Africa." African Affairs 108, Issue 432.pp. 391-412

Non Peer-Reviewed Publications

• Alexander Beresford 2006 "Trapped in Corporatism? Trade Union Linkages to the Abahlali baseMjondolo Movement in Durban." Published online by the Centre for Civil Society, the University of KwaZulu Natal (2006), pp. 1-85

Conference and Invited Papers

• Alexander Beresford “Rhetorics of Moderation and the Politics of Pragmatic Nationalism in South Africa.” Paper presented at the ESRC Rhetorics of Moderation conference (Huddersfield, July 2011)
• Alexander Beresford “The New Contours of Class Formation in post-Apartheid South Africa: The Madalas and the ‘Youngsters’ in the National Union of Mineworkers.” Paper presented at the European Conference on African Studies (ECAS) 2011, (Uppsala, Sweden, June 2011)
• Alexander Beresford “’The ANC Brought us Light’: Assessing the Impact of post-Apartheid Economic Development on the Political Loyalties of the Organised Working Class in South Africa.” Paper presented as part of the Research Seminar Series, The International Development Department, Birmingham University (Birmingham, October 2010)
• Alexander Beresford “Jacob Zuma and Machine-gun Populism: The Spectre or Mirror of South African Democracy?” Conference paper presented at the European Conference on African Studies (ECAS) 2009, (Leipzig, Germany, June 2009)
• Alexander Beresford “Jacob Zuma and Machine-gun Populism: Challenges for Trade Union Organising in South Africa.” Conference paper presented at The Conference on Labour Geography, (Liverpool, June 2009)
• Alexander Beresford “Populism, Democracy and Class Politics in Contemporary South Africa.” Conference paper presented at the Post-Fieldwork Peer Research Network.” (Edinburgh, February 2009)
• Alexander Beresford "'Now, I feel, We Are Back On Track': Understanding the Regenerative Capacity of the Tripartite Alliance in South Africa." Conference paper presented at The North Eastern Workshop on Southern Africa (NEWSA) (Burlington, Vermont, October 2008)
• Alexander Beresford "The JZ factor: A Perspective from 'Below' on the Rise of Jacob Zuma." Conference paper resented at South African Sociological Association (SASA) Congress (Stellenbosch, July 2008)
• Alexander Beresford 2006 "Trade Union Linkages to the Abahlali baseMjondolo Movement in Durban." Presented at the Centre for Civil Society, the University of KwaZulu Natal (09 June 2006)

Media Contact Areas

• South African politics