Stellenbosch University | Political Science

Dr. Cindy Steenekamp

Tel: +27 21 808 2115

FIELD OF RESEARCH/RESEARCH INTERESTS
Political behaviour; political culture; democratisation; attitudinal, public opinion, and values research; comparative studies: elite-mass studies and cross-national studies; and South African politicscies); South African foreign policy.

QUALIFICATIONS

BA International Studies; MPhil Political Management cum laude; PhD Political Science (Stellenbosch University)

TEACHING SPE​CIALISATION

Quantitative research skills (SPSS); political behaviour; African politics

ABOUT

Dr Cindy Steenekamp is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Political Science at Stellenbosch University. She holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies, an MPhil in Political management cum laude and a PhD (Stellenbosch University) on the topic of social capital and its development, dimensions and determinants in post-apartheid South Africa.

Dr Steenekamp’s teaching specialisation includes quantitative data analysis (SPSS); political behaviour; and African politics. Her research focuses primarily on the World Values Survey and several elite surveys conducted around the world and includes research interests such as political behaviour; political culture; democratisation; attitudinal, public opinion, and values research; comparative studies: elite-mass studies and cross-national studies; and South African politics.

Dr Steenekamp is the co-Principal Investigator of the World Values Survey and Elite/opinion leader survey in South Africa. She is also a member of an international research team (the Transformation Research Unit) working on a project titled, Global democracy: Political institutions and cultural contexts. Her previous research collaborations include a joint research project with the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, from 2013 – 2016 titled Democracy in crisis? An analysis of (the decline of) regime support and a joint research project with SARCHI-chaired ReSEP: Research on Socio-Economic Policy at the Department of Economics, Stellenbosch University, from 2011 – 2014 focussing on the emergent middle class in South Africa.

Dr Steenekamp is the co-author of a book, several journal articles, book chapters, research reports and occasional papers and has presented her research at a number of national and international conferences as a member of SAAPS (South African Association of Politics Studies) and IPSA (International Political Science Association).

CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS

World Values Survey in South Africa (co-Principal Investigator)

Elite/opinion leader survey in South Africa (co-Principal Investigator)

Global democracy: Political institutions and cultural contexts (as a member of the Transformation Research Unit, Stellenbosch University)

PREVIOUS/COMPLETED RESEARCH PROJECTS

Emergent middle class in South Africa. A joint research project with SARCHI-chaired ReSEP: Research on Socio-Economic Policy at the Department of Economics, Stellenbosch University. 2011 – 2014.

Democracy is crisis? An analysis of (the decline of) regime support. A joint research project with the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. 2013 – 2016.

PUBLICATIONS

Books

Kotzé, H.J. and Steenekamp, C.L. 2009. Values and Democracy in South Africa: Comparing Elite and Public Values. Johannesburg: Konrad Adenauer Stiftung. (ISBN: 978-0-620-43174-3).

Chapters in books:

De Jager, N. and Steenekamp, C.L. 2018. Political radicalism: Responding to the legitimacy gap in South Africa. In van Beek, U. (Ed.) Democracy under Threat: A Crisis of Legitimacy? Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan. 147-169.

Steenekamp, C.L. and Loubser, R. 2017. Perceptions of evil and the erosion of social capital in South Africa. In Lambrechts, D. and Fourie, P. (Eds.) Modern State Development, Capacity, and State Institutions. Stellenbosch: SUN MeDIA. 99-116.

Groenewald, J.P. and Steenekamp, C.L. 2016. Graduate School formats and functions: A case study. In Fourie-Malherbe, M., Bitzer, E., Aitchison, C. and Albertyn, R. (Eds.) Postgraduate supervision: Future focus for a knowledge society. 99-121.

Kotzé, H.J. and Steenekamp, C.L. 2011. Social capital. International Encyclopedia of Political Science. SAGE Publications

Articles in refereed journals

Loubser, R., du Toit, P. and Steenekamp, C. (forthcoming). Evil and violence: Illiberal beliefs in South Africa’s liberal democracy. Journal for Contemporary African Studies.

Steenekamp, C. 2017. Democratic political community in South Africa: Elusive or not? Taiwan Journal of Democracy, 13(1): 59-76.

Steenekamp, C. and du Toit, P. 2017. The evolution of support for democratic regime principles and its alternatives. Journal of Public Affairs. 17:e1644. https://doi.org/10.1002/pa.1644

Loubser, R. and Steenekamp, C. 2017. Subject well-being and perceptions of democracy. Journal of Public Affairs. 17:e1646. https://doi.org/10.1002/pa.1646

De Jager, N. and Steenekamp, C. 2016. The changing political culture of the African National Congress. Democratization, 23(5): 919-939.

Steenekamp, C. and Loubser, R. 2016. Active citizenship: A comparative study of selected young and established democracies. Politikon, 43(1): 117-134.

Steenekamp, C., du Toit, P. and Kotzé, H.J. 2015. Social norms in the wake of the global financial crisis. Taiwan Journal of Democracy, 11(1): 33-49.

Burger, R., Steenekamp, C.L., van der Berg, S., and Zoch, A. 2015. The emerging middle class in contemporary South Africa: Examining and comparing rival approaches. Development Southern Africa, 32(1): 25-40.

Policy papers

Kotzé, H.J. and Steenekamp, C.L. 2008. The Consolidation of Democracy in South Africa: Comparing Elite and Public Values. Policy Paper 5. Johannesburg: Konrad Adenauer Stiftung.