Africa
Africa in the world economy (Africa) is the second main strand of my work. A keen interest in Africa in general and South Africa in particular began while I was a postgraduate student at Arizona State University, culminating there with a PhD thesis that explored the relationship between anti-apartheid struggles and political change in South Africa.
After two books and a number of articles with a South Africa focus, I have developed thematic interests that move the gaze around the rest of the continent. To answer questions about modern slavery, trafficking, colonialism and post-colonialism I have written papers with a spatial focus on West Africa: the first is “Exploiting West Africa’s children: trafficking, slavery and uneven development“, the second is “Modern Slavery, Global Capitalism and Deproletarianisation in West Africa” and the third is “Do colonialism and slavery belong to the past?”
A paper on African soccer schools entitled “Learning to Kick” drew on two examples – Diambars in Senegal and the Mathari Youth Sports Association in Kenya. I am currently working on a paper that shows how football has become a vehicle of hope for the future development of the African continent. A component of the paper looks at South Africa’s hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, so my attention is now back on South Africa (at least for the time being).