Save The Date: Digital Scholarship Talk by Prof. Lauren Honig

Mapping Customary Authority and State Land Titles in Zambia and Senegal Wednesday, November 6, 2019 at 3:00 pm O’Neill 307

This talk explores the methodologies of Professor Lauren Honig’s research in two African countries. Her research employs a range of methods and forms of data, combining: semi-structured interviews with customary authorities (chiefs), state bureaucrats, and local farmers; case studies of specific land deals; British and French colonial archival land records; geo-referenced historical maps; contemporary land titling databases from two countries; an original survey of smallholder farmers in Senegal; and statistical analyses of a number of geo-spatial variables. Together, these research approaches shed light on how customary institutions impact state attempts to expand control over land in Senegal and Zambia. The talk discusses these methods as well as ethical considerations of fieldwork in developing countries.