Violent futures? Contestations along the frontier

This research project investigates the effects of large-scale land use change on organized violence in rural Africa. Through an analysis of contested land in Northern Kenya, this project analyses how the Kenyan Government’s ‘Vision 2030’ project impacts conflicts in the region through large-scale infrastructure and conservation projects. The student is expected to join one of the four working groups to combine quantitative data analysis and qualitative case studies to better understand the dynamics and changes in conflict in this region. This is in an effort to form a typology of violence along the Kenyan frontier of development. The student is expected to conduct trend analysis of violence over time in Kenya relying on data collected by the host institution, while also preparing and cleaning the data for the final database. This experience will not only further the student’s analytical skills, but also provide firsthand experience conducting research relating to development.

Faculty Supervisor:

Larry Swatuk

Student:

Partner:

Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Education

University:

University of Waterloo

Program: