I am a cultural anthropologist researching conflict and post-conflict issues in West Africa. I enjoy doing fieldwork and travelling. I have been HoD at the Department of Cultural Anthropology and Ethnology at Uppsala University for the past six years. After completing this arduous task, I am now thoroughly enjoying a sabbatical year, chiefly working from various cities in Japan.
Currently, I am residing in Nagasaki, conducting fieldwork together with Imari Yasuno for a pilot study on security. Some information about it can be found here: Beyond the state? Safety (安心) and security (安全) in urban Japan.
In addition to the new project on Japan, I am also currently working on another project focusing on research methods, with a primary emphasis on the rights and positions of research assistants working in conflict zones. For more info about that, see our ongoing project, Silencing and Marginalization, and the recently concluded Exploring the Research Backstage.
Last but not least, I have, over the past twenty years, followed a group of men who fought in the Sierra Leone civil war (1991-2002). When I first met them, they were fresh out of the war and fought hard to find new roles in post-war society. Today, they are middle-aged men. Whilst some have made good progress in life, others are still in the same predicament as twenty years ago, and tragically enough, a good number are no longer alive. Currently, we are trying to co-author some of their brutal, tragic, fascinating and at times quite poetic life stories.
You will find more information about my current and previous research projects on this page—see the menu on the left. There I have added some more personal comments, in italics, about some of the successes of the projects, but indeed also failures. It can perhaps be read as a my-life-in-projects text! The project pages also contain links to many of my publications. All books except for the most recent ones should be open access:). Still, a more formal academic presentation, including my CV, is available on my Uppsala University page.
This site started as a blog in 2011. Although it is no longer very active, I have decided to keep the page open, as it contains a wealth of valuable knowledge. In total, there are some 200 posts organised into about 80 different categories. To access them, enter via the categories button below in the menu on the left.
For more info about the old blog, see About a once rather active, but now very dormant blog.