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Overview

Dr Jack Jenkins

PDRA


Affiliations
Affiliation
PDRA in the Department of Anthropology

Biography

I am a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Anthropology at Durham University with a background in International Development. Through my research, I aim to contribute to interdisciplinary understandings of the complex relationships between transport, mobility, livelihoods, and development in sub-Saharan Africa.

Current Research

At Durham, I work on the European Research Council-funded project 'ALIVEAfrica: Animals, Livelihoods and Wellbeing in Africa'. Within ALIVEAfrica, I lead a case study on hunting and bushmeat-related livelihoods in Sierra Leone, exploring topics such as the legitimacy and local knowledge of wildlife laws, dynamics of trust and secrecy among different actors, zoonotic disease risks in markets, and livelihood impacts of the bushmeat trade. This research builds upon my previous work investigating rural lives and livelihoods in Liberia and Sierra Leone, which examined how improved transport connectivity contributes to development in areas like agriculture, education, employment, community cohesion, health, and women's economic empowerment.

Alongside my work on ALIVEAfrica, I am Principal Investigator on the project 'Using a Peer Research Methodology to Investigate Children's Mobility Challenges in Secondary Cities in Ghana and Liberia: A Comparative Study of Cape Coast and Ganta', funded by Volvo Research and Educational Foundations (VREF). In this project, children will be trained as co-researchers to explore children's walking experiences in the growing urban centres of Cape Coast, Ghana and Ganta, Liberia. By empowering children to shape the research process, the project aims to generate child-centred insights to inform policy and planning for safe, inclusive mobility in African secondary cities. The comparative design will shed light on how varying levels of urbanisation impact children's mobility challenges and navigation strategies.

Research interests

  • West Africa, Liberia, Sierra Leone
  • Rural Livelihoods and Development
  • Hunting
  • Urban and Rural Transport
  • Community Access
  • Civil War and Post-War Reconstruction

Publications

Book review

Chapter in book

Journal Article

Newspaper/Magazine Article

Report