Josh Doble
Institute of Historical Research, University of London, School of Advanced Studies, RHS Marshall Fellow
I am a social researcher at the Scottish Government. Previously I have taught and researched African History at the University of Edinburgh. Prior to this, during 2018/19, I was the RHS Marshall Fellow at the Institute of Historical Research whilst also completing an AHRC- funded PhD at the University of Leeds, supervised by Prof Shane Doyle and Dr Will Jackson. I previously completed a B.A. in History at the University of Leeds (2007-2010) and an M.St in Global and Imperial History at the University of Oxford (2010-11) where I specialised in East African colonial history.
My research interests centre on histories of animals, settler colonialism and postcolonial whiteness, largely centred on decolonising territories in East and Central Africa. I approach these topics through oral histories, ethnographic methods and a theoretical focus on emotions, senses, memory and wellbeing.
My doctoral research drew upon archival and ethnographic oral history sources in Kenya and Zambia to examine the intimate relations between white settlers and the African people and environment around them to question what decolonisation means in these pseudo-settler postcolonial territories. This research is being drawn up into a book focused upon the emotive and sensory dynamics of postcolonial whiteness in Africa, and the complex relationships which 'white settlers' have with Africans, the African state and the African environment.
Supervisors: Prof Shane Doyle and Dr William Jackson
Address: United Kingdom
My research interests centre on histories of animals, settler colonialism and postcolonial whiteness, largely centred on decolonising territories in East and Central Africa. I approach these topics through oral histories, ethnographic methods and a theoretical focus on emotions, senses, memory and wellbeing.
My doctoral research drew upon archival and ethnographic oral history sources in Kenya and Zambia to examine the intimate relations between white settlers and the African people and environment around them to question what decolonisation means in these pseudo-settler postcolonial territories. This research is being drawn up into a book focused upon the emotive and sensory dynamics of postcolonial whiteness in Africa, and the complex relationships which 'white settlers' have with Africans, the African state and the African environment.
Supervisors: Prof Shane Doyle and Dr William Jackson
Address: United Kingdom
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Announcements by Josh Doble
Date: Monday, January 28
Time: 15:30-17:00
Place: Common Room Anthropology B5.12, Nieuwe Achtergracht 166, Amsterdam.
See maps https://goo.gl/maps/by5mi
Abstract
This paper places dogs into the centre of the politics of the everyday within late colonial and postcolonial Kenya and Zambia, focusing upon how colonial systems of racialisation relied upon the animal to naturalise and legitimise tenuous structures of power. The legacy of this colonial racialisation of dogs continued after Independence through the widespread discourse of - and belief in - ‘racist dogs’. Engagement with the idea of ‘racist dogs’ is the central development in the paper and begins to unpack why dogs are considered racist in certain contexts and what these ‘racist dogs’ can tell us about their owners’ postcolonial positionality.
Bio
Joshua Doble is the Royal Historical Society Marshall Fellow at the Institute of Historical Research, University of London. He is also a doctoral candidate at the University of Leeds, where he researches the social history of settler colonialism within the context of decolonising territories of Kenya and Zambia. This research examines the intimate relations between white settlers and the African people and environment around them to question what decolonisation means in these pseudo-settler postcolonial territories.
About the seminar series
In this seminar series the relevance and irrelevance of race is being discussed as an object and concept of research in order to explore ways to talk about race without naturalizing differences. The series goes beyond a standard definition of race, one that is allegedly relevant everywhere, and situates race in specific practices of research. In addition, the series gives room to the various different versions of race that can be found in the European context and explores when and how populations, religions, and cultures become naturalized and racialized. Scholars from different (inter)disciplinary fields (such as genetics, anthropology, philosophy, cultural studies, history, political sciences, science and technology studies) are invited to address the issue of race through a paper presentation. The seminar is held every six weeks at the University of Amsterdam.
Papers by Josh Doble
Date: Monday, January 28
Time: 15:30-17:00
Place: Common Room Anthropology B5.12, Nieuwe Achtergracht 166, Amsterdam.
See maps https://goo.gl/maps/by5mi
Abstract
This paper places dogs into the centre of the politics of the everyday within late colonial and postcolonial Kenya and Zambia, focusing upon how colonial systems of racialisation relied upon the animal to naturalise and legitimise tenuous structures of power. The legacy of this colonial racialisation of dogs continued after Independence through the widespread discourse of - and belief in - ‘racist dogs’. Engagement with the idea of ‘racist dogs’ is the central development in the paper and begins to unpack why dogs are considered racist in certain contexts and what these ‘racist dogs’ can tell us about their owners’ postcolonial positionality.
Bio
Joshua Doble is the Royal Historical Society Marshall Fellow at the Institute of Historical Research, University of London. He is also a doctoral candidate at the University of Leeds, where he researches the social history of settler colonialism within the context of decolonising territories of Kenya and Zambia. This research examines the intimate relations between white settlers and the African people and environment around them to question what decolonisation means in these pseudo-settler postcolonial territories.
About the seminar series
In this seminar series the relevance and irrelevance of race is being discussed as an object and concept of research in order to explore ways to talk about race without naturalizing differences. The series goes beyond a standard definition of race, one that is allegedly relevant everywhere, and situates race in specific practices of research. In addition, the series gives room to the various different versions of race that can be found in the European context and explores when and how populations, religions, and cultures become naturalized and racialized. Scholars from different (inter)disciplinary fields (such as genetics, anthropology, philosophy, cultural studies, history, political sciences, science and technology studies) are invited to address the issue of race through a paper presentation. The seminar is held every six weeks at the University of Amsterdam.