My geographical areas of research are mainly Africa (particularly, West Africa) and First Nations communities in Alberta, Canada. However, I also have a keen interest in and familiar with development issues in Latin America, Asia and the Caribbean.
My research and teaching interests lie in the areas of comparative community development; environmental and human resource management; ethnoecology; anthropological theory and methods. Much of my research focuses on how indigenous communities engage with specific natural and social-cultural, economic and political environments, as they negotiate their survival in the unfolding context of globalization and its local manifestations. The principal aim of much of my research is to draw the attention of policy makers and agents of development to the significance of local cultural values, systems of thought, mythologies and traditions, perceptions, politics, and histories as critical considerations in the design and implementation of efficacious development projects and programs. Specifically, my research interrogates and evaluates both conventional as well as alternative approaches to development, and provides some directions on how to recognize and respond to local stakeholders, cultural gaps, and differences in knowledge systems in development interventions.
