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The 2012 APSA Africa Workshop will be convened at the University of Botswana in Gaborone from July 15 to 27. The two-week workshop, entitled "Local Communities and the State in Africa," will include a focus on field research methods. The workshop leaders are Parakh Hoon (Virginia Tech, USA), Lauren MacLean (Indiana University, USA), Joseph Mbaiwa (Okavango Research Institute, University of Botswana, Maun), Sethunya Mosime (University of Botswana, Gaborone), and Lungisile Ntsebeza (University of Cape Town, South Africa).

Participants:
The workshop is targeted principally at university and college political science faculty residing in Africa, who have completed their Ph.D. and are in the early stages of their academic career. APSA, with a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, will cover all the costs of participation (including travel, lodging, meals, and workshop materials) for up to 26 qualified applicants.

The application period for the 2012 workshop is closed. APSA has selected 22 Africa-based fellows to participate in the workshop, as well as four advanced Ph.D. students residing in the United States.

Workshop Theme:
During the workshop, fellows will study a series of interrelated theoretical and methodological themes under the banner of 'Local Communities and the State in Africa.' After two decades of significant political and economic reforms in Africa, new forms of local institutions and organizations are vying for public authority. How do we conceptualize and systematically study the relevant informal institutions, including various "twilight" extra-legal institutions, and new claims made on behalf of local communities? This workshop will conceptualize and study: (1) interactions between local communities and the state that go beyond a narrow geographical concentration on a particular community, and (2) linkages that connect local, national, and transnational actors.

At the outset of the workshop, participants will develop a shared intellectual foundation by exploring the significant empirical questions related to local communities and the African state, focusing on core issues including rights and recognition, public goods and service provision, and decentralization and local empowerment. Afterwards, participants will move towards a discussion of the relevant theories for understanding these empirical puzzles, concentrating on structural, institutional, community-based, and comparative theoretical perspectives. In the last phase of the workshop, participants will think critically about the methodological challenges faced when attempting to build theoretically-informed and empirically-substantiated arguments. Themed discussions will emphasize the value of empirical field research and research design, the politics of access and researcher positionality, and future trends in using new technologies, working in conflict zones, and obtaining funding.

For questions or more information on the 2012 Africa Workshop program, contact Andrew Stinson at africaworkshops@apsanet.org or call (202) 349-9364. Please do not contact the workshop leaders directly.