search the africa institute site
Robtel Neajai Pailey, an Assistant Professor in International Social and Public Policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), presented her work based on the award-winning book, “Development, (Dual) Citizenship and its Discontents in Africa: The Political Economy of Belonging to Liberia,” on Wednesday, February 22, 2023, at The Africa Institute library.
Professor Pailey’s book was published by Cambridge University Press in 2021 and received the 2022 African Politics Conference Group Best Book Award. During the seminar, she explored the question of whether dual citizenship reproduced inequalities. Her groundbreaking work evaluated domestic and diasporic constructions and practices of Liberian citizenship across different regions and historical periods, examining their implications for development.
Drawing on over two hundred in-depth interviews conducted in West Africa, Europe, and North America, Professor Pailey used a contested dual citizenship bill, which was introduced in Liberia in 2008 but never passed, as a starting point to address broader questions about how citizenship is influenced by factors such as class, gender, race, ethnicity, and others. She delved into whether dual citizenship perpetuated inequalities and introduced a new model for conceptualizing citizenship within the context of crisis-affected states. Furthermore, she provided a compelling critique of the neoliberal framing of diasporas and donors as the ultimate solution for post-war reconstruction.
Robtel Neajai Pailey’s impressive background as a Liberian scholar-activist, working at the intersection of Critical African Studies, Critical Development Studies, and Critical Race Studies, underscored the significance of her research.
Professor Pailey’s current book project, “Africa’s ‘Negro’ Republics,” delves into how slavery, colonialism, and neoliberalism in the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries have influenced the adoption and maintenance of clauses barring non-blacks from obtaining citizenship in Liberia and Sierra Leone. Her academic journey includes earning BA degrees in African Studies and English Literature at Howard University, an MSc in African Studies at the University of Oxford, and a Ph.D. in Development Studies at SOAS, University of London.
The seminar was moderated by Amy Niang, Associate Professor of Political Science at The Africa Institute, who facilitated a stimulating discussion on the topic.
Robtel Neajai Pailey, an Assistant Professor in International Social and Public Policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), presented her work based on the award-winning book, “Development, (Dual) Citizenship and its Discontents in Africa: The Political Economy of Belonging to Liberia,” on Wednesday, February 22, 2023, at The Africa Institute library.
Robtel Neajai Pailey, an Assistant Professor in International Social and Public Policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), presented her work based on the award-winning book, “Development, (Dual) Citizenship and its Discontents in Africa: The Political Economy of Belonging to Liberia,” on Wednesday, February 22, 2023, at The Africa Institute library.
Professor Pailey’s book was published by Cambridge University Press in 2021 and received the 2022 African Politics Conference Group Best Book Award. During the seminar, she explored the question of whether dual citizenship reproduced inequalities. Her groundbreaking work evaluated domestic and diasporic constructions and practices of Liberian citizenship across different regions and historical periods, examining their implications for development.
Drawing on over two hundred in-depth interviews conducted in West Africa, Europe, and North America, Professor Pailey used a contested dual citizenship bill, which was introduced in Liberia in 2008 but never passed, as a starting point to address broader questions about how citizenship is influenced by factors such as class, gender, race, ethnicity, and others. She delved into whether dual citizenship perpetuated inequalities and introduced a new model for conceptualizing citizenship within the context of crisis-affected states. Furthermore, she provided a compelling critique of the neoliberal framing of diasporas and donors as the ultimate solution for post-war reconstruction.
Robtel Neajai Pailey’s impressive background as a Liberian scholar-activist, working at the intersection of Critical African Studies, Critical Development Studies, and Critical Race Studies, underscored the significance of her research.
Professor Pailey’s current book project, “Africa’s ‘Negro’ Republics,” delves into how slavery, colonialism, and neoliberalism in the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries have influenced the adoption and maintenance of clauses barring non-blacks from obtaining citizenship in Liberia and Sierra Leone. Her academic journey includes earning BA degrees in African Studies and English Literature at Howard University, an MSc in African Studies at the University of Oxford, and a Ph.D. in Development Studies at SOAS, University of London.
The seminar was moderated by Amy Niang, Associate Professor of Political Science at The Africa Institute, who facilitated a stimulating discussion on the topic.
Subscribe to our mailing list and get the latest news from The Africa Institute
