Teaching

My teaching builds on my experience and research interests. It also reflects my search for bridges between development organisations, particularly NGOs and academia. I currently teach two postgraduate modules:

Social Diversity, Inequality and Poverty (BENVGSD2)

This module explores the theoretical debates that link diverse social identities and power relations, and the competing models of equity and justice that attempt to reconcile them. It examines the implications of these debates for social development. The module also deals with different understandings, definitions and ways of measuring poverty and inequality and the implications for development policy and practice.

NGOs and Social Transformation (BENVGSD4)

I established this module as a result of multiple engagements with Development NGOs. The module hosts panels of NGO practitioners to discuss contemporary challenges and thus becomes a space of reflection and mutual learning. The module engages with an emerging body of literature in critical development studies and anthropology of development, which reflexively analyses the practices and politics of development organisations and their staff. In doing so, it covers different theoretical approaches to NGOs, and analytical models of social change. Specifically, using NGOs as an entry point, the module explores issues of collective action and social transformation in development, and analyses the role of NGOs within the political economy of civil society actors in the current architecture of development.

Dissertation Fellowships with development organisations

I have also built a number of fellowship opportunities for postgraduate students to write their dissertation on topics that are relevant to development organisations, particularly NGOs. This led to wider involvement of academic staff in the work of NGOs and employment opportunities for former students. I am happy for NGOs and other development organisations to get in touch and propose new areas of collaborations.

I am interested in supervising doctoral students on the following topics:

– slum-upgrading or titling processes in informal settlements

– participation in development interventions and/or urban governance

– ethnography of development/humanitarian organisations

– ethnography of development policy and practice

– alter-globalization movements

While I am open in terms of geographical focus, I am now particularly keen to supervise work on urban Sierra Leone and Kenya. I am also happy to discuss any proposal, should you find my work relevant.