HOD of Social Sciences: Full-Time Associate Professor; Coordinator & Lecturer of M. Phil in Culture and Education & Honours in Peace Studies; and, Lecturer in Psychology & Sociology. Chair of Student Support Services and New Staff Orientation
“I swim towards the shore
Only to find
That you have enlarged the sea.
You leave me dazed with more desire
And give me more muscle
To swim again towards you.”
Hadewijch von Brabant’s contemplation occupies my learning, living, and rebirthing. My personal, professional and political stance is that of discontent: ‘knowing’ is beyond my grasp; being attached to set ideas has allure yet is illusion. As the scales of illusion fall from my eyes I am compelled to ‘swim again towards you’. This discontent rests on the duality of inclusion and exclusion. My enduring pain is experiencing, witnessing and colluding with exclusion: be it educational, personal, political, social or spiritual. My life’s work as a being, as well as academic, activist, educator and professional is to include, and challenge exclusion. I desire ‘more muscle’…..
PROF TERRY SACCO
My post graduate studies began with a B.A. Honours in School Social Work, University of the Witwatersrand - for which I received the M. C. O'Dowd Award for Excellence in School Social Work Practice. I continued my interest in education and obtained a M.Ed., University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. Being attracted to the academic freedom and spirituality of St Augustine College I completed a D. Phil. here at St Augustine College that focused on transitional justice and reconciliation.
My educative horizon inheres critical reflexivity, beholds contemplation, envisions decoloniality and reconciliation discourses that foreground societal trauma. My hope for students, who I have the privilege of encountering, is that they take delight in their thinking, connect with their truth and social agency, think critically and forge lives that make the world a better place.
I have created, designed and taught: post graduate as well as undergraduate modules.
Postgraduate
- Reconciliation and Nation Building
- Pastoral Care and Community Building
- Vision and Values in Education
- Curriculum and Values in Education
- Contemporary Social Issues
- Professional development
- Qualitative Research
- Values and ethics in professional practice
- Violence and the South African context
- Foundations of Peace-Building: Concepts, Philosophy and Organisation
- Recovering from Violence: Transitional Justice, Reconstruction and Reconciliation
- Elements of Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding
- Assessment and intervention in selected specialised fields
- Sociology of education
- Social work practice in schools
Undergraduate
- Social Psychology
- Sociology
- Preparing for practice with individuals, groups and communities
- Social Work with children and families
- Anti-discriminatory practice
- Values and Ethics
- Human growth, behaviour and the social environment
- Integral Spirituality
- Migrants & Unaccompanied Minors
- Community Education & Development
- Gender oppression: including empowering girls and young women
- Anti-apartheid & detainee movement
Academic articles:
Fineran, S., Bennett, L., & Sacco, T. M. (2001). Peer sexual harassment and peer violence: South African children at risk. Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk, 37(3), 211-221
Fineran, S., Bennett, L., & Sacco, T. M. (2003). Peer sexual harassment and peer violence among adolescents in Johannesburg and Chicago. International Social Work, 46(3), 387-340.
Reichard, A., Sacco, T. M., & Turnbull, H. R. I. (2004). Access to Health Care for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities from Minority Backgrounds. Mental Retardation, 42(6), 459-470.
Schmid, J., & Sacco, T.M. (2012). A story of resistance: ‘Concerned Social Workers’ The Social Work Researcher - Practitioner, 24(3), 291-308
Sacco, T. M., & Hoffmann, W. (2002/2003). The South African truth & reconciliation commission: Submission by social work educators [Electronic Version]. Journal of Social Work Theory & Practice, 5 from http://www.bemidjistate.edu/SW_journal/issue5/articles/sacco.html.
Sacco, T. M. (1999). Social work and spirituality in a South African context [Electronic Version]. Journal of Social Work Theory and Practice from http://www.bemidjistate.edu/SW_journal/issue1/articles/sacco.html.
Sacco, T. M. (1996). Spirituality and Social Work Students in their First Year of Study at a South African University. Journal of Social Development in Africa, 11(2), 43-56.
Sacco, T. M. (1995). Violence and peace: The social worker's brief? Social work/Maatskaplike Werk, 31(2), 109-114.
Sacco, T. M. (1994). Humanising the accused: The social worker's contribution in mitigation of sentence. Socal Work/Maatskaplike Werk, 30(2), 159-170.
Chapters in Reviewed Books
Sacco, T. M. (2017). Loving what is: Engaging with unaccompanied minors and young migrants in Soweto. In P. Denis (Ed.), Faith and Migration (pp. 217-226). Pietermaritzburg: Cluster Publications.
Sacco, T. M. (2015). Inequality, health, wellbeing and South Africa. In U. Brizay, R. Lutz & F. Ross (Eds.), Sozialarbeit des Sudens (Social Work of the South): Band 5 Zugang zum Gesundheitswesen und Gesundheitspolitik (Access to Health Care Services and Health Policy) (pp. 43-60). Oldenburg Paulo Freire Verlag.
Sacco, T. M., & Schmid, J. (2015). Politicizing welfare and humanizing politics: Social workers opposing apartheid South Africa’s policies. In N. Yu & D. Mandell (Eds.), Subversive social action: Extralegal action for social justice. Waterloo, ON: Wilfrid Laurier Press
Sacco, T. M. (2012). Site of Memory: A reconciliation project with displaced people in Johannesburg, South Africa. In C. Frey & R. Lutz (Eds.), Sozialarbeit des Sudens. (Social Work of the South). Band 4 – Flucht und Fluchtlingslager (pp. 411-430). Oldenburg: Paulo Freire Verlag.
Sacco, T. M. (1996). Towards an inclusive paradigm for social work. In M. Doel & S. Shardlow (Eds.), Social work in a changing world: An international perspective on practice learning (pp. 31-42). Hants, England: Arena.
Sacco, T. M. (1992). "Princesses" and others: Parental and sibling perceptions of black pupils attending a Roman Catholic, non-racial primary school. In D. Freer (Ed.), Towards Open Schools (pp. 136-155). Manzini, Swaziland: Macmillan.
Professional Articles
Sacco, T.M. (1999) ‘Trauma and Helping Children Cope’ Catholic Education News, 8 (2), 1-3
Sacco, T.M. (1989) ‘Tribute to David Webster' In Touch, Concerned Social Workers, No 1
Sacco, T.M. (1989) ‘Detentions: Minister of Health Admits Health Hazards' In Touch, Concerned Social Workers, No 1
Sacco, T.M. (1988) ‘The Effects of detention on Children and their Families', Human Rights Quarterly, 10 (1), 92-95. Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press
Sacco, T.M. (1987). ‘Report - Detainee Services' In Touch, Concerned Social Workers, No 1, May
Sacco, T.M. (1986) `Group Work with Young Political "Refugees"' In Touch, Concerned Social Workers, No 1, October
Community Documents
`Detention - Torture to the Mind', a pamphlet produced for ex-detainees, April 1987, on behalf of Concerned Social Workers and Appropriate Social Services in South Africa
`Coping in Crisis', 1987, a pamphlet produced for victims of apartheid on behalf of Detainees Parents Support Committee (DPSC)
`A day in the Life of a Detainee' Newspaper article in The Star July 1985
Papers Delivered
- “Remembering Duma Kumalo” Duma Kumalo Inaugural Commemorative Lecture and Colloquium VUT Vanderbijlpark Campus, 29 August 2016
- “Reclaiming Women’s Power” Christ the King Sophiatown, August 2016
- ‘Reconciliation in South Africa: A hope-filled vision in scarce times’, International Conference on Spirituality and Social Work, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, June 2010
- ‘Social Workers’ Power’ Key Note Address: Oath Taking Ceremony, First Year Students, University of Johannesburg, South Africa, October 2011
- ‘Awakening our Humanity: Facing xenophobia attacks on our neighbours’ Oath Taking Ceremony, First Year Students, University of Johannesburg, South Africa, August, 2008
- ‘Social Exclusion: Experiences of Some of Apartheid’s Victims of Human Rights Violations post the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’, Symposium of Spirituality and Social Work, Inter-University Centre, Dubrovnik, Croatia, June 2002
- ‘Legacies of Past Political Violence’, Symposium of Spirituality and Social Work, Inter-University Centre, Dubrovnik, Croatia, June 2001
- A Cross-cultural comparison of peer violence and peer sexual harassment in South Africa and the United States’, International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse & Neglect (ISPCAN) conference, Durban, South Africa, July 2000
- ‘Spirituality, Social Work and Social Development’, Joint University Council (JUC), Conference, University of Western Cape, September 2000
- ‘The South African truth & reconciliation commission: Submission by social work educators’ Symposium of Spirituality and Social Work, Inter-University Centre, Dubrovnik, Croatia, June 1999
- ‘Social work and spirituality in a South African context’, Symposium of Spirituality and Social Work, Inter-University Centre, Dubrovnik, Croatia, June 1998
- ‘Anti-Oppressive Perspectives in Social Work Education’ at the Joint University Council Conference, University of Cape Town, September 1995
- `Violence and Peace’, Joint University Council Conference, Rand Afrikaans University, September 1994
- `Spirituality and Social Work Students in the First Year of Study at a South African University’ at the International Association Schools of Social Work (IASSW) conference, Amsterdam July 1994
- `The return of Exiles' paper delivered at African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) conference, in Potchefstroom Township, Orange Free State (OFS) 1990 and at a conference organised by Save The Patriots Campaign (STCP), 14th July 1990
- `Social Workers - Are We Ignoring Human Rights?’, Paper delivered at conference, Social Workers Forum, Durban, 10th June 1989
- `Psychological effects of Detention on ex-detainees and their families', paper delivered to Detainees Parents Support Committee (DPSC) Conference, 5 November 1988
- `Possibilities and constraints for Social Workers in the present socio-political climate' delivered at conference of Concerned Social Workers, October 1987
- `The Effects of Detention on Children and their Families', paper delivered to Free South Africa's Children - A Symposium on Children in Detention - Congressional hearing organised by Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Washington DC, 25th June 1987
