Citizenship, Belonging and Political Community in Africa

As demonstrated by the battles over inclusion and exclusion which have animated recent elections in Africa, struggles over citizenship are increasingly central to African political life. Yet though engagement with the concept of citizenship often privileges its character as a legal category relating the individual to the territorial nation-state, citizenship can also be historicised as simply one prominent conceptualisation amongst others of “belonging” to a political community, and so as part of a wider set of frameworks through which shifting and competing modes of political life have found articulation. Thinking historically and comparatively about citizenship and belonging calls for a reconsideration of important themes in African history and politics, including nationalism and ethnic identity, vocabularies of political accountability and claim-making, the limits and possibilities of liberal thought, and the relationship between individual and community. The theme of the 2011-12 Fellowship programme will allow scholars from a variety of disciplines to explore issues related to the nature of citizenship, belonging, and political community in Africa, both in the past and in the present.

Applicants should note that for security reasons neither applications nor references can be accepted via email and should make arrangements accordingly. The closing date for completed applications is 1 October 2010 and applications received after this date will be declined. The appointments will be made by the beginning of March 2011 and all applicants will be notified of the result.

The University follows an equal opportunities policy and does not discriminate according to race, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.

All documents must be written in English

Click the following link to download and read the full ad for further details:
www.african.cam.ac.uk/pdfs/applicationpackage.pdf