Emeritus Professor of Sociology | Human Rights Lawyer | Writer

David Dickinson

Exploring law, society, and lived realities in South Africa through research, legal practice, and writing.

Social & Legal Analysis

Galleries and Photo Essays

Images that have caught my eye & stories told with pictures

Mashaeng, Free State: April 2026

I’ve rented a two-room building in Mashaeng Township in the...

The Herriot Way: Yorkshire Dales January 2026

The Herriot Way walk is a 52-mile (84-km), circular walk in...

Short Stories

Stories inspired by encounters, observations, and experiences within South African communities.

The Golden Tooth

In the kasi, the best chance of meeting the next...

Red for Danger

Red catches my eye, even as I push the 120...

Blood

It is Saturday afternoon and we are driving to Katlehong’s...

Research • Writing • Human Rights • Social Justice

Scholar, lawyer, and writer

I am Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the University of the Witwatersrand and a practicing attorney with Lawyers for Human Rights. Originally from the United Kingdom, I moved to South Africa in 1994 and have spent more than thirty years teaching, researching, and writing about labour relations, HIV/AIDS, and social justice. After completing my legal training, I was admitted as an attorney in 2024 and have since focused on land, housing, and labour rights. My academic and legal work are closely connected, both shaped by direct engagement with communities and the social realities they face.

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