As a HASTAC Scholar, part of our charge is writing about our work! So this most recent post will share my doctoral research and interests at the University of Kansas. I am in the Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) PhD program, and am also pursuing a graduate certificate in African Studies.
My research interests at the moment are focused around two primary projects which are closely interconnected. First of all, I am pursuing a comparative study of gender-based violence (GBV) in Tanzania and Namibia, with a focus on historical factors that may have influenced contemporary social issues on GBV. Secondly, I am interested in Namibian women and their contribution to Namibian independence. Like South Africa, Namibia was also subjected to the apartheid system of racial segregation. Women made a tremendous contribution to the struggle for independence, and I am interested in capturing some of their stories. (I became interested in Namibia after working there for two years as a teacher and community development worker. See my photos of Namibia here!) Ultimately, my plan is to connect this work to the digital humanities and to create an online space where the stories scan be shared and appreciated.
If you are interested in learning more about digital humanities at the University of Kansas, check here: https://idrh.ku.edu/ For more info about WGSS, check out our departmental website here: https://wgss.ku.edu/