In the context of a political anthropology that works across localized, national, and international networks, governance levels and dynamics, I study the legacy of mass violence, post-conflict recovery and 'development' in Africa's Great Lakes region and ... beyond.
RECENT & FUTURE RESEARCH
THE LEGACY OF MASS VIOLENCE
Understanding the (long-term) impact of wartime and mass violence on institutional and socio-political processes is key for our understanding of a society’s post-conflict recovery, transformation and, ultimately, development. But little is known about these processes, let alone their long term impact. Concretely, on the one hand I am studying the legacy of mass violence on interpersonal trust or political participation/representation and, on the other hand, I focus on the impact of mass violence on social constructions such as ethnicity, nationality or gender. I do so by - mainly - analyzing hundreds of life history narratives and trajectories from individuals living in countries that experienced large-scale violence in the recent past.
MOBILITY: (FORCED) MIGRATION & BEYOND
I am interested in the intersection (and aim to further straddle the boundaries) between socio-economic mobility and (forced) migration. The aim is to anchor, at first sight, disparate phenomena in a theoretical framework on mobility taking into account its physical, economic, cultural and socio-political dimensions in order to see human mobility as part of broader processes of social change and development: who moves where, how and why?
STATE REACH
A fundamental question of state-builders (in Africa) is: to what extent and how is (state) authority broadcast over people? And what are the effects? My research wants to move beyond existing knowledge on governance structures and practice by developing insights into the subjective realm of governance experience. Here, my extensive dataset of life story narratives from several countries allows me to develop insights regarding the dynamics of state under-reach (at times referred to as state fragility or even underdevelopment), reach (as in the case of ‘developmental’ states) or overreach (in situations of structural violence, state crime or genocide).
A fundamental question of state-builders (in Africa) is: to what extent and how is (state) authority broadcast over people? And what are the effects? My research wants to move beyond existing knowledge on governance structures and practice by developing insights into the subjective realm of governance experience. Here, my extensive dataset of life story narratives from several countries allows me to develop insights regarding the dynamics of state under-reach (at times referred to as state fragility or even underdevelopment), reach (as in the case of ‘developmental’ states) or overreach (in situations of structural violence, state crime or genocide).
ONGOING & PAST RESEARCH
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THE NATURE AND EXPERIENCE OF POLITICAL TRANSITION Political transitions are dominantly analyzed top-down and focus on a narrow range of political processes and institutions. Critical rethinking of the ‘transition paradigm’ entails that structural factors, such as historical legacies and ethnic make-up, determine the trajectory of political transitions. My research intends to complement top-down approaches by offering a bottom-up perspective revealing what it means to live through a transition in the ordinary perception and experience. 
TRADITIONAL JUSTICE AND RECONCILIATION MECHANISMS
The use of customary institutions and mechanisms is increasingly presented as a solution to operational problems of justice in general and transitional justice in particular. It not only entails a turn towards more culturally appropriate and home-grown solutions, it often also implies the decentralization of the judicial procedure and/or the reconciliation process to the most remote local level: small face-to-face communities. My research is primarily focused on the practice of the gacaca courts in Rwanda and the bashingantahe councils in Burundi. Download Poster MICRO-DYNAMICS OF VIOLENCE/GENOCIDE
I started my research in Africa's Great Lakes by spending three months on a Rwandan hill studying the dynamics of genocide at the local level. Over the years, I have continued to gather data on this theme. I am planning to use this material to explore, among other things, the dark sides of social networks. KNOWLEDGE, METHOD AND DATA Any study needs a preliminary and continuous reflection on existing knowledge and the process of knowledge construction; hence my interest in the sociology of knowledge. In addition, and although my research is often ethnographically-driven, I am interested in mixed method approaches that can deal with or uncover the complexity of a research topic. I also have a keen interest in the use of life/oral histories as a research technique. OTHER
In the past I have also done research on sexual violence, radio listening habits, elections as well as evaluations of development and grassroots programmes. |
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