[State at Wits] Fwd: Upcoming seminars on political settlements theory

[Keith Breckenridge]

A reminder of the unusual, and invaluable, seminar on Political Settlements
Theory at 4pm this afternoon.  We have not advertised it very widely, so
please feel free to forward to people who might be interested:

*Political settlements* theory seeks to explain development outcomes
according to the distribution of organisational power, institutions and
resources in society. Drawing on various traditions (new institutionalism,
public choice, Marxism), it has steadily moved into the mainstream of
development discourse, and has informed a wide range of bilateral and
multilateral programmes around fragile and developing states. As a
comparatively young discipline, there are active and ongoing debates around
definitions, gaps and dependencies in the model. These include how narrow
or inclusive a settlement has to be, whether the settlement is a
reproducible distribution of power or an agreement between elites to end
violence, and the importance of the distribution of economic benefits as a
variable. We are privileged to be joined by three speakers who have been at
the cutting edge of these debates, and who will engage with us over the
course of two sessions.

If you are planning to join this meeting, please read this discussion paper
<https://wiser.wits.ac.za/system/files/documents/tk_mvh_political%20settlements%20working%20paper%20Sep%202020.pdf>
.

*Session 1: Wednesday 7th October 2020 16h00 – 17h30*

Tim Kelsall and Matthias vom Hau from the Effective States and Inclusive
Development Research Centre, University of Manchester, will present a paper
reflecting on the current debates in political settlements theory, in
particular what constitutes a political settlement, the critical variables
that determine outcomes and the typologies that flow from this. The themes
they will cover also form part of a forthcoming book to be published early
in 2021.

Register for the Zoom meeting here :
https://wits-za.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEqceGopjgiGdbW1BZJB_WKojK9DBxfjK-P

*Tim Kelsall* is a Senior Research Fellow at the Overseas Development
Institute in London and Co-Director of Research at the Effective States and
Inclusive Development Research Centre, University of Manchester. Tim
specialises in political economy analysis and political anthropology, with
interests in governance, democracy, transitional justice, economic growth,
education, and health. He has worked in several developing countries,
including Tanzania, Sierra Leone and Cambodia. He holds a BA from the
University of Oxford and an MA and PhD from the School of Oriental and
African Studies. Prior to joining ODI he taught politics and development
studies at Oxford and Newcastle Universities, edited the journal African
Affairs, and worked freelance for a variety of research and development
organisations. His latest book is Business, Politics, and the State in
Africa: Rethinking the orthodoxies on growth and transformation (London:
Zed Books, 2013).

*Matthias vom Hau* is an Associate Professor and Ramón y Cajal Researcher
at the Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals (IBEI). A sociologist by
training, he has a PhD (2007) from Brown University and previously held a
postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Manchester. Matthias’ research
is centrally concerned with the relationship between identity politics,
institutions, and development, with a comparative-historical focus on Latin
America. He has published widely on how states construct a sense of
national belonging, how civil society actors negotiate and contest official
nationalisms, and the extent to which ordinary citizens subscribe to
official and counter-state identity projects. A second line of research
explores the rise and consequences of indigenous movements in Latin America
and beyond, while his third line of work corrects for the fundamentally
ahistorical approach that underpins the supposedly negative relationship
between ethnic diversity and public goods provision.

-------
Keith Breckenridge  *W I S E R* - The Wits Institute for Social and
Economic Research, University of the Witwatersrand | Pbag 3, PO Wits,
 Johannesburg, South Africa, 2050 | Phone +27(0)11-7174272 | Web:
wiser.wits.ac.za



---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: <colver at iafrica.com>
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 2020 at 10:10
Subject: [State at Wits] Upcoming seminars on political settlements theory
To: <state at lists.wiser.org.za>


Dear all



A reminder about the two upcoming seminars on current debates in political
settlements theory:

   - Wed 7th Oct 16h00 to 17h300 with Tim Kelsall and Matthias vom Hau
   - Wed 14th Oct 16h00 to 17h30 with Brian Levy



We will be discussing the attached paper by Tim and Matthias, as well as
Chapter 8 of Brian’s book Working with the Grain.



Please register for the seminars here:

   - Oct 7
   https://wits-za.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEqceGopjgiGdbW1BZJB_WKojK9DBxfjK-P
   - Oct 14
   https://wits-za.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAvcOytqjgqH9HyBQnTvGC3fYaEPiZQQMhp



We look forward to engaging with you on these papers. If you have any
questions in advance, please email me directly.



Regards



*CRISPIAN OLVER*

Postnet Suite 118, Private Bag X7 Parkview 2122

c. +27825680415 w. +27 11 646 5553 skype: crispian.olver

colver at iafrica.com


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