Project Description
The book brings together an inter-disciplinary set of scholars (including historians, medical anthropologists, and archaeologists) to address the relationships between environment, disease, history and culture in sub-Saharan Africa. The contemporary disease landscape in sub-Saharan Africa has been shaped by diverse evolutionary, ecological, and anthropogenic processes. Likewise, "natural" environments are increasingly understood to be the product of long histories of human interaction and management. For this project, we ask specialists of disease to explore the influence of environment and scholars of the environment to consider disease. The result will be an inter-disciplinary approach incorporating multiple temporal scales of analysis. Chapters will draw on archeological, environmental, archival, oral, cartographic, and ethnographic data to explore the intertwined histories of human-managed environments and diseases including—but not limited to—malaria, yellow fever, sleeping sickness and rinderpest. Book contributors will include Africanists from across the state of Oregon, with the project being led by the UO.
Unlike most edited volumes and special issues, where contributors may meet briefly and then write their papers independently, a key component of this project is sustained engagement through a series of five writing workshops throughout 2016-2017 where authors will exchange ideas and offer peer feedback. These workshops will help push contributors beyond their disciplinary boundaries to explore new literatures, resulting in a set of papers with strong linkages. Our workshops concluded with the participation of a distinguished invited guest, Dr. Tamara Giles-Vernick from the Institut Pasteur, who spent two weeks in Oregon. During her time she read, commented on and met with each author individually and worked with the collection editors to help identify salient themes.
Project Work & Timelines
We ask that those who contribute to the book agree to participate in a series of writing workshops, where the group will meet together to discuss draft chapters and themes that connect the chapters together into a cohesive edited volume. At the first meeting, we will review draft abstracts of all contributors. At future meetings, we will be reviewing drafts of full chapters. Meetings will be held in Eugene, Portland and Salem and funds are available to offset travel costs for all participants.
The set of writing workshops means that all chapters will have gone through an internal peer discussion, and given the author a chance to present a draft, make revisions, and then submit a fuller, more polished version. We anticipate this process will result in richer papers, and that authors will be able to find connections between their own work and that of other contributors. We hope this will result in a more cohesive volume, and allow us as a group to discuss and discover the important themes that run throughout the chapters.
Project Participants
Co-Editors:
1. Melissa Graboyes (Assistant Professor, Clark Honors College, UO) is a historian of medicine and science, focusing on modern East Africa.
2. Daphne Gallagher (Lecturer, Anthropology, UO) is an archaeologist who studies long-term human environment relationships in the West African Savanna.
Contributors:
3. Lindsay Braun (Associate Professor, History, UO) studies concepts of territory and state control in colonial South Africa.
4. Stephen Dueppen (Associate Professor, Anthropology, UO) has expertise on the archaeology of domestic livestock in West Africa.
5. Betsey Brada (Assistant Professor, Anthropology, Reed College) is a cultural anthropologist specializing in health and medicine in southern Africa.
6. Bob Reinhardt (Assistant Professor, History, Boise State University) is an environmental historian focusing on the history of health and he has written a book on global smallpox eradication.
7. Kenny Maes (Assistant Professor, Anthropology, Oregon State University) is a medical anthropologist who studies the role of community health workers in Ethiopia.
8. Jennifer Tappan (Associate Professor, History, Portland State University) studies approaches to treating disease and malnutrition in colonial Uganda.
9. Joyce Millen (Associate Professor, Anthropology, Willamette University) is a medical anthropologist who studies the effects of diasporic communities on health outcomes.
10. Bonnie Ruder (PhD Student, Medical Anthropology, Oregon State University) is completing a dissertation related to obstetric fistula in Uganda.
11. Jean Faye (PhD student, Geography, University of Oregon) is completing a dissertation related to food security and agro-forestry systems in the Sahel.
12. Yihenew Tesfaye (PhD student, Biocultural Anthropology, Oregon State University) is completing a dissertation related to water insecurity, gender and governance in Ethiopia.
13. Yvonne Braun (Associate Professor, International Studies and Women's and Gender Studies, University of Oregon) is a sociologist who studies the intersections of gender, development and environment in southern Africa.
PAST WRITING WORKSHOP INFORMATION:
Information for Writing Workshop #5: Friday, September 29, 10-4 in Eugene
WHEN & WHERE: This writing workshop will be Friday, September 29, 10-3.30, at the UO, in room 369 Prince Lucien Campbell Hall (corner of Kincaid Street and 14th Street). There is metered parking on Kincaid, 14th and 15th.
Agenda for Friday, September 29, 2017
9.45-10 Arrivals and Socializing (coffee and snacks available)
10-11 Discussion of Yvonne Braun and Jean Faye chapter
11-11.15 Break
11.15-12.15 Discussion of Betsey Brada chapter
12.15-1.15 Catered Lunch & Project Updates
1.30-2.30Discussion of Bonnie Ruder chapter
Tamara Giles-Vernick (Institut Pasteur) will be visiting Eugene thanks to the Global Oregon Faculty Collaboration Fund. She will be available to meet with contributors at their home campuses to discuss chapter drafts, and also to visit classes, and/or to make public presentations. She will be available September 27- 30 and October 4-12. We will be holding one public events at the UO during this time and another at Reed College.
Information for Writing Workshop #4: Friday, June 9, 10-4 in Eugene
WHEN & WHERE: Our first writing workshop will be Friday, June 9, 10.30-3.30, at the UO, in room 369 Prince Lucien Campbell Hall (corner of Kincaid Street and 14th Street). There is metered parking on Kincaid, 14th and 15th.
Agenda for Friday, June 9, 2017
9.45-10 Arrivals and Socializing (coffee and snacks available)
10-10.30 Discussion of Yvonne Braun and Jean Faye abstract
10.30-11.30 Discussion of Yvonne Braun chapter
11.30-11.45 Break
11.45-12.30 Project Updates: Decisions about Publication Venues; Timelines for Decisions and Larger Project;
Planning Tamara's Fall Visit--Review Draft Agenda
12.30-1.30 Catered Lunch
1.30-2.30 Discussion of Lindsay Braun chapter
2.30-2.45 Break
2.45-3.45 Discussion of Bob Reinholdt chapter
Information for Writing Workshop #3: Friday, May 12, 10-4 in Portland
Chapter Presenters:
- Stephen Dueppen
- Melissa Graboyes
- Kenny Maes and Yihenew Tesfaye
Information for Writing Workshop #2: Friday, February 10, 2017
WHEN & WHERE: Our second writing workshop will be Friday, February 10, 2017, 9.30 am-3.30 pm in Salem at the Willamette Heritage Center (1313 Mill St SE, Suite 200, Salem)—which is also right across the street from the Amtrak station. Thanks to Bob for hosting us!
WHAT TO DO BEFORE ARRIVAL: For those who are presenting draft chapters, please pre-circulate your draft chapter into this shared dropbox folder. You can title your chapter with your name and put it in the folder, which will make it available to everyone. For those who are not presenting, please read the draft chapters and be ready to comment during our meeting.
WHAT WE WILL DO TOGETHER: During the few hours we spend together, we will be focusing on providing feedback to the authors of the draft chapters. To this end, we will spend an hour on each person’s chapter: a few minutes for the author to explain their idea and expand upon the chapter, followed by a thorough discussion.
WHAT WILL WE EAT: We'll provide coffee, snacks, and something delicious to eat for lunch. (Or, at the very least, sustaining!)
Agenda for Friday, February 10
9.15-9.30 Arrivals and Socializing (coffee and snacks available)
9.30-10 Project Updates from Daphne and Melissa; Check-in with All Participants
10-11Discussion of Daphne Gallagher's chapter
11-11.45 Discussion of Yvonne Braun abstract
11.45-1 Catered Lunch
1-2 Discussion of Jenn Tappan's chapter
2-2.15 Coffee/Tea Break
2.15-3.15 Discussion of Joyce Millen's chapter
Information for Writing Workshop #1: Friday, September 16, 2016
WHEN & WHERE: Our first writing workshop will be Friday, September 16, 10.30-3.30, at the UO, in room 348 Prince Lucien Campbell Hall (corner of Kincaid Street and 14th Street). There is metered parking on Kincaid, 14th and 15th.
WHAT TO DO BEFORE ARRIVAL: Please pre-circulate a 2 page abstract of your chapter idea by Monday, September 12. This does not need to be a polished abstract, and you may identify questions you are still wrestling with or would like group feedback on. Please share your abstract in one of two ways: either email me or Daphne and we will circulate to the group. OR, preferably, drop your abstract into this shared dropbox folder that I have set up for our group. You can title your abstract with your name and put it in the folder, which will make it available to everyone.
WHAT WE WILL DO TOGETHER: During the few hours we spend together, we will be focusing on getting to know one another and learning about the proposed chapters. To this end, we will spend 15 minutes on each person’s abstract: 5 minutes for the author to explain their idea and expand upon the abstract, followed by 10 minutes of discussion. Be forewarned: we will be keeping time strictly!
WHAT WILL WE EAT: We'll provide coffee, snacks, and something delicious to eat for lunch. (Or, at the very least, sustaining!)
Agenda for Friday, Sept 16
10-10.30 Arrivals and Socializing (coffee and snacks available)
10.30-11 Start the Workshop; Individual Introductions
11-12 Discussion of first set of 3-4 abstracts
12-1.30. Catered Lunch
1.30-2.30 Discussion of second set of 3-4 abstracts
2.30-3.00 Coffee/Tea Break
3.00-3.30 Discussion of third set of 1-2 abstracts