Workshops
Development and Population Change in 21st Century Africa Workshop
Institute of Population Studies/ Centre for Development Studies,
Addis Ababa University, August 2010
Abstract submissions and travel bursaries
Workshop Summary
The aim of the workshop is facilitate discussion among African demographers, anthropologists and other social scientists researching population change in Africa, specifically focussing on the impact of recent international development intervention. Africa is facing an escalating HIV/AID epidemic, rapid urbanisation, and environmental degradation and erratic economic growth. What are the future implications for health and society in the region? To what extent is spiralling rural population growth fuelling repeated humanitarian crises? Which development policies are likely to improve conditions, and which exacerbate the problem?
Western researchers have dominated the academic discussion on these topics; however, in order to generate sustainable progress, we propose that there is a need to improve dialogue between researchers and users across the African continent. The workshop, hosted by Addis Ababa University in August 2010, will disseminate new research and discuss diverse theoretical perspectives on the social and demographic consequences of development intervention across Africa. Social scientists from across Africa will be encouraged to present oral research papers, chair and participate in debates.
Funds obtained from the British Academy and the Wenner-Gren will be used to finance travel bursaries for African participants to attend and present at this workshop. With these bursaries we hope to solicit abstracts from the widest possible range of African demographers, anthropologists as well as experts of development studies, from universities, government and non-governmental institutions
Rationale
21st Century Africa is facing an escalating HIV/AID epidemic, rural population growth, rapid urbanisation, environmental degradation and erratic economic development (Cohen, 2003). While improvements in healthcare have reduced childhood disease and mortality levels, changes in family size and structure are placing increasing strain on both individual households and the wider community (Gibson and Mace, 2002, Gibson and Mace, 2006). The greatest social and health problems of the next century are likely to relate to emerging population pressures, particularly on the overstretched public services (Cohen, 2003). Demographers, anthropologists and other social scientists working in the region are well-positioned to address topics relating to the future implications for health and society; the extent to which spiralling rural population growth is fuelling repeated humanitarian crises and to identify those development policies which are likely to improve conditions, and those which exacerbate the problem.
Contribution
This workshop will identify how qualitative and quantitative social scientists working in Africa can contribute to a more general anthropology of development, development planning and policy. It will provide a forum for African researchers to formulate theoretical advances, which feed into the wider development of the discipline within Africa, drawing upon emerging theoretical perspectives in demography, anthropology and other fields of development studies. The proceedings of the workshop will have relevance to beyond the demographic community, particularly for those interested in development planning, national and international diaspora, social networks and household identities.
Sessions
The 3-day research workshop will be divided into sessions addressing the following 5 topics:
- The Impact of Development: Social and Health Consequences:
- Changing Rural Livelihoods
- Rural-urban Networks: National and International Migration
- Africa's Demographic Transition
- New Methods and Theoretical Approaches
Worshop Timetable and Format
The general format for the workshop will through a single strand of events, permitting all delegates to participate in each session. On each day of the 3 days, sessions will include:
- 4 oral presentations by primary researchers
- discussion of the paper with all delegates participating
- formal debates on specific topics relating to future directions for development in Africa
Each paper presentation should be 30 minutes in length, and will be followed by another 30 minutes for questions and further discussion. Powerpoint facilities will be available. Each session will be chaired by a discussant who will summarise discussions. Additionally, each day will end with a 1 hour formal debate on pre-determined topics by invited speakers, which all delegates will be invited to contribute to.
Participants presenting oral papers, will be asked to prepare and submit their papers online prior to the conference. These will be circulated to all delegates prior to the workshop. It is anticipated that selected papers from the workshop will be published in a special edition of a relevant international journal.
Deadline for abstract submissions & request for travel bursaries – 31st May 2010
To apply for this workshop, please complete the 
application form. In addition, please append a short abstract of less than 500 words.
Download application form here
Please attach both your application and abstract to your email and send to:
Ethiopian applicants: Dr Eshetu Gurmu eshetu_gurmu@yahoo.com
All other applicants: Dr Mhairi Gibson mhairi.gibson@bristol.ac.uk
Previous Workshop: Advanced Research Methods Training Workshop for Demographers and Anthropologists
Institute of Population Studies/ Centre for Development Studies
Addis Ababa University, March 17th – 19th 2008
A successful 3-day workshop was hosted by Addis Ababa University on Advanced Research Methods for Anthropologists and Demographers for 26 staff and post-graduate students in Ethiopian universities, institutes of higher education and other organisations actively involved in social science research. Sessions included both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods and new forms of statistical analyses and software:
- New Participatory Methods – including Participatory Videso
- Event History Analyses
- Using MLwiN software.
- Multilevel Modelling
