Chipo Dendere
Assistant Professor of Africana Studies
I am a Zimbabwean born scholar of political science. I study factors that influence party survival and democratization in the developing world. I completed my Bachelor of Science Degrees in Political Science and Psychology at Linfield College, OR. I earned my Ph.D. in Political Science, 2015 at Georgia State University under the supervision of Dr. Daniel Young. My doctoral dissertation and subsequent book manuscript is on the impact of voter exit (via emigration or withdrawal from politics) on the survival of dominant parties.
I study democratization, elections and voting behavior in Africa as well as the impact of social media on politics. My research drawn from interviews with migrants in four countries shows that emigration plays an important role in shaping the politics of poor countries. When people emigrate their exit often bolsters undemocratic regimes. New work on social media shows a complex relationship between online behavior and support for democracy.
It is a rare opportunity to have a job that one absolutely loves. I can not do good research without teaching and I can not teach without engaging in rigorous research. When I teach my goal is get students excited about the complexity that is Political Science. When I teach African politics, my goal is to get students to challenge previously held assumptions about Africa. At the end of semester students should at the very least understand that Africa is not a country. They should understand that political institutions began before colonialism and that pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial politics influence contemporary African politics. I challenge students to think critically about methodology and theory.
I am engaged in a lot of service- I am on the African Politics Conference Group committee, NEWSA Program committee and blog often for the Washington Post's Monkey Cage as well as the Mischiefs of Faction. I also share political analysis on BBC, Al Jazeera and CNN among other media outlets.
I love doing yoga, walking/jogging, reading a lot of fiction, watching TV, blogging about personal finance and thinking about entrepreneurship.
Education
- B.A., Linfield College
- M.A., Georgia State University
- Ph.D., Georgia State University
Current and upcoming courses
Calderwood Seminar in Public Writing: Black Diaspora, Political Experiences in Pandemics
AFR330
The ongoing global pandemic and elections have revived conversations on race and the marginalization of the Black Diaspora. In this course, we will engage with the various ways in which black people practice politics in Africa and elsewhere in the diaspora. We will pay special attention to the ongoing impact of national politics on the global pandemic. Scholars taking the course will each week respond to a reading by writing public facing work such as blogs, editorials and/or opinion pieces, and other forms of public writing. A primary goal in this course is to learn how to bring academic arguments to the general public.
-
Calderwood Seminar in Public Writing: Black Diaspora, Political Experiences in Pandemics
AFR330H
The ongoing global pandemic and elections have revived conversations on race and the marginalization of the Black Diaspora. In this course, we will engage with the various ways in which black people practice politics in Africa and elsewhere in the diaspora. We will pay special attention to the ongoing impact of national politics on the global pandemic. Scholars taking the course will each week respond to a reading by writing public facing work such as blogs, editorials and/or opinion pieces, and other forms of public writing. A primary goal in this course is to learn how to bring academic arguments to the general public. -
Unpacking Blackness, Ethnicity and Identity in the African Diaspora
AFR215
This course is designed to examine the meaning of race and ethnicity and the determinants and fluidity of membership in a particular racial or ethnic group. We will also explore different ways to measure ethnic and racial identification and how ethnicity affects attitudes, economic development, social mobilization and migration. We will seek to assess to what extent ethnic and racial identities shape trust and prejudice, and examine the impact of ethnic diversity on development and the provision of public goods. Analyses will be made of ethnic and racial electoral politics and the varying extent and impact of ethnic voting patterns in relation to democratic governance and ethnic conflict. -
Unpacking Blackness, Ethnicity and Identity in the African Diaspora
AFR215H
This course is designed to examine the meaning of race and ethnicity and the determinants and fluidity of membership in a particular racial or ethnic group. We will also explore different ways to measure ethnic and racial identification and how ethnicity affects attitudes, economic development, social mobilization and migration. We will seek to assess to what extent ethnic and racial identities shape trust and prejudice, and examine the impact of ethnic diversity on development and the provision of public goods. Analyses will be made of ethnic and racial electoral politics and the varying extent and impact of ethnic voting patterns in relation to democratic governance and ethnic conflict.