Granting Justice: Cash, Care, and the Child Support Grant

About Tessa Hochfeld

The late Professor Tessa Hochfeld (1972-2019) was an internationally recognised academic and social worker who was passionate and committed to social and gender justice. The way she went about her research reflected her kindness and generosity of spirit her engagement and subjectivity. Yet it was critical and reflective of what it might mean for a theory of justice in a southern context. Tessa's work was not simply about theory although it was profoundly theoretical. It was about finding ways to improve people's lives. Her research was motivated by finding solutions that were tested based on evidence and that built on what she learnt from people's everyday struggle to make a living.She leaves a rich theoretical and critical body of intellectual work on social welfare social protection gender social care and social and gender justice. This work is highly relevant to contemporary debates on distributive justice in political and social thought internationally and most importantly to understanding what is loosely referred to as 'Southern Welfare'.Tessa was also a talented and committed teacher mentor and supervisor. It is our wish as her family and colleagues to see her work continued through the development of excellent Masters researchers who are interested in the field of social and gender justice and in committing to her approach of engaged scholarship. Bursary recipients will be selected from applicants to the Interdisciplinary Masters in Social Policy and Development programme a programme that Prof Hochfeld was instrumental in setting up.