Current Institutional Affiliation
Lecturer, Political & International Studies, Rhodes University

Award Information

Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa: Doctoral Dissertation Completion Fellowship 2014
Institutional Affiliation (at time of award):
Political & International Studies, Rhodes University
Transnationalism and Re-thinking international Relations in Southern Africa: The Case of Short-term Cross-Border Migration from Zimbabwe to South Africa

This research aims to analyze cross-border migration within Southern Africa (using cross-border migration from Zimbabwe to South Africa as a case study) by placing it under the rubric of transnationalism. The research seeks to document alternative sources of international relations, economic and social security and identities located in transnational communities and networks rather than states. Consequently, the study argues that focusing on cross-border migrants as a unit of analysis rather than the state highlights cross-border migrants as agents of change and emancipation exposing the fiction of state sovereignty and security in the region. Data gathering will be based on qualitative interviews informed by the Phenomenological research method. The Research will be conducted in Harare (Zimbabwe) and Johannesburg (South Africa). To validate findings Lincoln and Guba (1985) influential criteria of social science rigour will be used comprising of the four categories of credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability.

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