Faculty Interviews
MASU asked a number of Maxwell faculty members to share the experience of how they came to the study of Africa and their current research projects.
Professor Peter Castro, Anthropology
How did you come to the
study of Africa?
I came to the study of
Africa through a personal interest in the environment and people’s relationship
to the environment. I had a great
professor in graduate school in UCSB named David Brokensha who kindled my
interest in Africa. He had a project in
Kenya that focused on people and their interaction with trees, which I took a
great interest in.
Could you describe your
most current projects in African studies?
I have been working with
the Near East Foundation on issues of economic recovery and peace building in
Darfur. I’ve travelled there twice
recently to do training with project communities, foundation staff and performed
some assessment work. I did similar work
in Mali in 2013.
What would you say are the
most pressing concerns for the continent right now?
The issues of healthcare
and food security are a very pressing concern right now. However, the big challenge is finding ways
for people to engage in building the sort of societies they want to live in as
opposed to a development project from abroad coming in and imposing America’s
vision of what African civil society should be.
What most important insight
would you want your Maxwell students to take from the study of Africa?
I see my own role as a
supportive one. I hope to support my
students in fulfilling whatever their vision is, so they are able to develop
their own insights and understanding of African issues. When I first travelled to Africa I had not
travelled very much at all, and I appreciated that my professors gave me the
space to form my own insights.
Professor Christopher DeCorse, Anthropology
How did you come to the study of Africa?
African history and archaeology
have fascinated me as long as I can remember.
This interest began when my grandfather took me to the Historical
Society Museum and the Buffalo Museum of Science. I was also captivated by Louis Leakey’s
discoveries on early human ancestors at Olduvia Gorge, in Tanzania that
garnered international attention. By the
time I was 10 years old knew that I wanted to study African archaeology. My undergraduate advisor encouraged me to
spend time in Africa. I subsequently went
to Sierra Leone as a Peace Corps volunteer and, later, taught at the University
of Ghana.
Could you describe your most current projects in African studies?
My research focuses on the
impact of the Atlantic World-including the slave trade-on African societies. My
recent fieldwork includes excavations at Bunce Island in the Sierra Leone
estuary, which was the major slave trading center between the Senegambia and
Ghana. Bunce Island is particularly
unique because it was one of the few places where enslaved Africans were taken
directly from Africa to North America. With
the Sierra Leone Monuments and Relics Commission I am preparing a plan for the
cultural preservation of the island.
What would you say are the most pressing concerns for the continent right now?
Healthcare is the most
pressing concern. Infrastructure is still
lacking in many areas, but this concern is particularly pressing in terms of
meeting basic healthcare needs. This is highlighted by the Ebola outbreak in
Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia, but basic healthcare, sanitation, and water remain
unavailable in many places. I have had direct experience with some of these
concerns.
What most important insight would you want your Maxwell students to take from the study of Africa?
Cross-cultural
awareness. Many people have naïve views
of Africa’s past and present. The continent’s history is a complex tapestry
that presents a rich history relevant to all of human kind. The slave trade and
the movement of millions of enslaved Africans across the globe was integral to
the shaping of the modern world. Modern
Africa presents an array of peoples, cultural traditions, and nation states. People are different, and you have to get to
know them and understand their culture, both past and present, in order to
effectively interact with them. This
in-depth understanding is germane to grappling with modern problems.
Professor Audie Klotz, Political Science
How did you come to the study of Africa?
People often thought I was
South African when I was younger, which peaked my interest in the country. In graduate school I started studying food security
and agricultural issues, and I took a trip to Zimbabwe which solidified my
desire to study Africa.
Could you describe your most current projects in African studies?
I recently finished a book called
Migration and National Identity in South Africa,
1860–2010 which explores South African immigration history over the last
150 years. Published in the fall of
2013, the book suggests that democratization has channeled discontent into a
non-racial nationalism that targets foreign Africans as a threat to prosperity,
and suggests that a better understanding of South Africa’s complex segregation
legacies is required in order to find a suitable government/societal response
What would you say are the most pressing concerns for the continent right now?
My biggest concern is the
increased militarization of the continent.
The American military is increasingly paying attention to Africa, and
I’m concerned about the consequences of that.
What most important insight would you want your Maxwell students to take from the study of Africa?
I’d like my students to
take away the importance of understanding what’s happening on the continent in
light of the broader international context.
You have to consider Africa within the wider global environment, even
when studying issues at the local level.
Professor John McPeak, Public Administration & International Affairs
How did you come to the study of Africa?
I did a study abroad program in Kenya as an undergraduate at St.
Lawrence University. While I was
studying sociology I came upon the idea of culture, and decided that I wanted
to see the most different cultural that I could. Additionally, I have a memory of walking with
my older sister in our hometown of Jordan, NY.
I told her I wanted to go to Africa to see giraffes, and she said I
wouldn’t so maybe I have been working all this time to prove her wrong!
Could you describe your most current projects in African studies?
I have ongoing projects in
Senegal and Mali exploring livestock transhumance corridors. I’m also working with an impact evaluation
team from the Land Project studying pastoralists in the southern part of
Ethiopia (Borana and Bugi). Additionally,
I’m starting work on a project with Dr. Charles Benjamin of the Near East
Foundation on building resilience in agricultural systems in Senegal and
Mali. Finally, I am working on index
based livestock insurance in Kenya for the Feed the Future Innovation Lab,
funded by USAID.
What would you say are the most pressing concerns for the continent right now?
In my realm, food security
and increasing agricultural productivity in the face of changing climate
regimes are the biggest concerns. In a larger sense, I believe
managing urbanization and increasing the quality of local governance are pressing
issues.
What most important insight would you want your Maxwell students to take from the study of Africa?
I would say the importance
of appreciating the people and their humor and perseverance. I’d like students to know that Africa is an
incredibly fun place to work because of the spirit of the people.
Professor Martin Shanguhyia, History
How did you come to the study of Africa?
I was born and grew up in
the rural part of Western Kenya, and it’s always been my aspiration to study
the places I grew up. As a result, most
of my studies have focused on Africa.
Could you describe your most current projects in African studies?
My most current project focuses on cross boarder relations in
North Western Kenya between pastoralist communities (on the Kenyan side) and
those living across the border in Sudan and Uganda. I’m exploring their relationship in terms of
the environment, access to resources and conflict dynamics in a historical
context.
What would you say are the most pressing concerns for the continent right now?
The most pressing concerns
are the usual struggles for basic needs such as food security, drought
resulting in agricultural failure, access to shelter in urban communities and
access to resources. Access to resources
is a particularly key issue for pastoralist communities in Central and Southern
Africa, where land reform is an ongoing issue facing the government.
What most important insight would you want your Maxwell students to take from the study of Africa?
Africa is increasingly recognized by the international community
as indispensable. Africa has recently
gained significance to the global community and has become influential in the
context of climate change, global politics and epidemics (Ebola). These are international challenges, and
Africa has become influential in terms of how other countries relate to one
another. All this is evidence of
Africa’s critical role in international relations, global public policy, development
and security.