Sachil Singh

BSocSci (MA, Economic History)
BSocSci (Hons, Economic History)
BSocSci (Development Studies, Economics, Internet Studies)
Ph.D. Candidate

Research Interests

Consumer surveillance, economic sociology, risk, social sorting

Education

Doctor of Philosophy (Sociology), Queen’s University (2014, expected), Communication and Information Technology - Thesis title:  The Social Sorting of the Socially Sorted: evaluating the social consequences of credit scoring and credit financing in post-apartheid South Africa.

Master of Social Science (Economic History and Development Studies Programme ), University of KwaZulu-Natal (2008), Economic History and Development Studies - Thesis title: The Political Economy of Africa's Cyberspace:  understanding how South Africa's government policies on digital technologies are appropriated, and influence 'development', at grassroots level in Maputaland, KwaZulu-Natal.

Bachelor of Social Science, Honours (Economic History and Development Studies Programme ), University of KwaZulu-Natal (2006), Economic History and Development Studies - Thesis title:  An Economic History of the Durban Docks:  a comparison of dockworker resistance to racial oppression and technological innovation, c.1900-1939.

Bachelor of Social Science Degree   (First Class, Dean's Commendation), University of KwaZulu-Natal (2005), Development Studies, Economics, Internet Studies.

Awards, Bursaries and Scholarships

• Blakely Student Initiatives Fund (2013)
• Conference Presentation Travel Grant (2013) – Department of Sociology, Queen's University
• New Transparency Graduate Travel Grant (2012)
• Queen's University Graduate Award (2012-2013)
• International Tuition Award (2012-2013) – Queen's University
• Cogeco Award (2012-2013) – Queen's University
• Queen's University International Student Bursary (2011-2012)
• International Student Bursary (2011-2012) – Queen's University
• National Research Foundation Doctoral Scholarship for Study Abroad (2010-2013) (declined)
• Surveillance Studies Network Global Scholar (2011)
• Queen's University Graduate Award (2010-2011)
• International Tuition Award (2010-2011) – Queen's University
• University of KwaZulu-Natal Graduate Scholarship (2008)
• University of KwaZulu-Natal Graduate Scholarship (2007)
• National Research Foundation Free-Standing Honours Bursary (2006)
• University of KwaZulu-Natal Special Awards (2006)
• Ford Foundation travel and conference award (2006), Harvard University and Amherst College
• Danish Embassy travel and conference award (2005), University of Pretoria
• Dean’s Commendation (2005)
• Dean’s Commendation (2003)
• University of Natal Scholarship Award (2003)

Publications

Refereed Articles

• Singh, Sachil. 2010. ‘The South African ‘Information Society’: problems with policy, legislation, rhetoric and implementation, 1994-2008’, Journal of Southern African Studies, 36(1):207-224.

Book Chapters

• Singh, Sachil and Lyon, David.  2013.  'Surveilling Consumers: the social consequences of data processing on Amazon.com' in The Routledge Companion to Digital Consumption, Russell W. Belk and Rosa Llamas (eds), London and New York: Routledge, pp.319-332.

Conference/Workshop Presentations (selected)

• "Development, Disadvantage and Risk:  the social consequences of credit scoring in South Africa", Annual Canadian Sociological Association Conference at Congress, University of Victoria, Canada (June 2013)
• "Risky Subjects and Riskier Objects: the contribution of credit scoring technologies to social disadvantage in South Africa", (Re)Activating Objects: social theory and material culture, Western University, Canada (March 2013)
• "The South African 'Information Society': problems with policy, legislation, rhetoric and implementation", History and African Studies Seminar Series, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (October 2008)
• "The United Nations in Cyberspace: combating phishing with collective security", Commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the United Nations, University of Pretoria, South Africa (October 2005)

Lecturing Experience

• "Global Capital Accumulation and Dependency Theory", Queen's University (100 students, February 2012)
• "Commodity Trade", University of KwaZulu-Natal (50 students, April 2008)
• "Population and the Environment", University of KwaZulu-Natal (50 students, April 2008)
• "The Political Economy of Eco-Feminism", University of KwaZulu-Natal (50 students, April 2008)
• "Trade and Fair Trade", University of KwaZulu-Natal (350 students, April 2008)
• Diseases and Domesticated Animals, University of KwaZulu-Natal (200 students, February 2007)
• "The Domestication of Animals", University of KwaZulu-Natal (200 students, February 2007)

Teaching Experience

Winter 2012, Winter 2013
Teaching Assistant, Sociology of Globalization (SOCY225)
Department of Sociology, Queen's University

Fall 2012
Teaching Assistant, Introduction to Consumer Culture (SOCY306)
Department of Sociology, Queen's University

Fall 2010, Winter 2011, Fall 2011, Winter 2012
Teaching Assistant, Introduction to Sociology (SOCY122)
Department of Sociology, Queen's University

Summer/Fall 2010, Summer/Fall 2008, Summer/Fall 2007
Teaching Assistant, Internet Expertise (INST101H2)
Department of Historical and Internet Studies, University of KwaZulu-Natal

Summer/Fall 2009, Summer/Fall 2008, Summer/Fall 2007
Teaching Assistant, The Political Economy of Food (EHDS101H2).
Economic History and Development Studies Programme, University of KwaZulu-Natal

Winter/Spring 2009, Winter/Spring 2008
Teaching Assistant, News, Media and the Internet Society (INST102H2)
Department of Historical and Internet Studies, University of KwaZulu-Natal

Winter/Spring 2009
Teaching Assistant, Empires of the Modern World (HIST102H2)
Department of Historical Studies, University of KwaZulu-Natal

Winter/Spring 2009, Winter/Spring 2008, Winter/Spring 2007
Teaching Assistant, Electronic Images and the Internet (INST202H2)
Department of Historical and Internet Studies, University of KwaZulu-Natal

February-June 2009
English Second Language Teacher
PowerOne Online, Philippines

Winter/Spring 2006
Teaching Assistant, Globalisation: Then and Now (EHDS102H2)
Economic History and Development Studies Programme, University of KwaZulu-Natal