With my first full week in the books, I can say that I have settled well into Dakar and I like this place a lot. I began taking French classes at the Baobab Cultural Center and working on my research project at the West African Research Center. First, I should describe some details of my project: My research examines the distant relationship between youth and formal political actors in Senegal since the 2012 presidential elections. Leading up to the elections, the incumbent President of 12 years, Abdoulaye Wade, attempted to change the constitution in his favor which led to massive protests throughout civil society called Mouvement de 23 juin (M23). It rallied all aspects of Senegalese society including social organizations, youth, major opposition parties, and the unemployed. An integral part of M23, a group called Y’en a marre successfully utilized hip-hop and organized rallies to channel youth discontent into effective political aims including voter registration of youth. With over 100 political parties in existence, political coalitions often solidify around charismatic leaders rather than generational values. This kind of plurality poses a weakness to Senegal’s democracy because the common people e.g. young people have trouble identifying with the parties, which have a monopolized influence over economic and social policy. I find this topic important because Senegal is heralded as a model of peaceful democracy for other African countries yet faces these deep-rooted issues of democratization. In addition, youth is one of the hot topics in African academia as they comprise over 50% of the populations of several African countries yet they face disproportionate consequences of economic hardship. My project consists of two parts:
- 1. Interviews of party officials that ask about their attitudes and strategies concerning youth as a political entity.
- 2. A written survey comprising 25 multiple choice questions, asking randomly selected youth in 6 to 8 neighborhoods throughout the city of Dakar about their opinions of the events of 2012 and of the government in general.
Thus far, the independent research process and the pace of Senegalese society have presented unfamiliar challenges. I’m only two weeks out of a busy schedule at Northwestern, where academic, extra-curricular, and social activities never seemed to stop. Here, the pace is slower and people never seem to schedule work appointments or social gatherings days ahead of time. Instead, locals tend to schedule their days hours ahead of time so my adviser suggested that I call them and remind them about a meeting a couple hours beforehand. When someone says “let’s meet at 2 PM,” it almost always means I will actually meet him or her at 2:30 or 3 PM. More generally, I already see that my weakness for procrastination will be challenged. With an independent research project in a foreign country, I do not have any specific deadlines nor anybody here to oversee my project’s progress step-by-step. Already having prepared my interviews and survey, I need to finish editing my material, talk to locals who are involved in politics, and find a translator with a reasonable price tag. This can occur at a slow pace because people have different schedules and other priorities. For example, the center was slow to set up my French classes because a study abroad program of 10 students had just arrived. It has been difficult to solicit prompt responses from political leaders whom I’ve established a relationship with.
My most daunting tasks are finding a survey tablet and hiring a translator at affordable prices. The tablet provides an accessible method of retrieving data as most respondents would not want to take the effort to complete a written survey. In addition, I have discovered an Android application that automatically stores and analyzes the data. I originally bought a tablet in the US for a cheap price but for one reason or another, it was missing from my main luggage when I arrived. In addition to the tablet, a translator will be crucial for facilitating discussion with research subjects and advising me of important cultural and logistical factors. I had originally set aside about $600 for 2 weeks of fieldwork, but the standard price at the research center is $600 dollars for 2 days. Because of this price, I have temporarily decided to forgo the party official interview portion of my research and focus on my youth survey, especially since party officials are extremely hard to track down. Despite the challenge, I have been afforded different options due to the help of various people. My new friend, a graduate student, has let me borrow his iPad that he doesn’t use and I will see if there is an application as good as the Android one. If not, my French professor is willing to sell me his Android tablet for a cheap price. As far as the translator, I will look for him or her outside of the research center’s purview. Today, I am meeting with a professor in the nearby public university who should be able to connect with graduate students who may want to assist me. The process can be slow and challenging, but I am also encouraged by the progress I have seen from being persistent and focused on my goals. By diligently editing my material, establishing new contacts, and maintaining old ones, things should work out in the end.
In my next post, I will describe other aspects of my trip including fun excursions and the great new people I have befriended.
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| The Baobab Cultural Center |