Per Zachrisson

Social Anthropology
PhD in History
PhD in Social Anthropology

About

• Senior Researcher at the School of Global studies, University of Gothenburg.
• Ph.D. in Social anthropology, University of Gothenburg 2004.
• Postgraduate course in Method and Theory for Evaluation of Aid 10 p, University of Gothenburg 1996.
• Ph.D. in History, University of Gothenburg 1978.
• Teacher Training College, subjects Civics, History, Linköping Teacher Training College 1971.
• Research and field work in Zimbabwe (Rhodesia) 1974-75; Zimbabwe 1997-99; Botswana 2006-2009; Botswana 2011- ongoing.
• University lecturer in African history at University of Zambia 1979-81; University of Malawi 1983-85.
• Lecturer in Civics and History at Lerums Gymnasieskola 1985-1994.

Areas of interest

Southern Africa; climate change impact and sustainable development in African drylands; trans-national natural resource use (‘Transboundary Natural Resource Management’) with wildlife and tourism; local and global ideas and practice in natural resource use.

How poor rural households, particularly woman-headed, are affected by, and relate to, new land uses and climate change in the Limpopo valley is investigated on the border of Zimbabwe and Botswana. To illuminate how local societies meet and articulate with globalization of the environment in regional processes the impact of the ‘Greater Mapungubwe Transfrontier Conservation Area’ on an adjoining population of Sotho/Babirwa in Zimbabwe and Botswana is investigated. Through anthropological fieldwork the research also aims to investigate how small holders in the area adapt their livelihoods in an environment increasingly affected by climate change.

Ongoing research

Climate change in southern Africa and the vulnerability of smallholders is investigated in the project, Coping with climate change in African drylands: Double exposure of poor households in the Limpopo Basin of Zimbabwe and Botswana.

The research investigates how Sotho/Babirwa smallholders in Zimbabwe and Botswana, perceive, frame and cope with “double exposure” of climate change and economic globalization in their social-ecological system. A sustainable livelihoods and situational approach will be applied and poor and woman-headed households will be in focus. The current challenges of food production and coping with periods of droughts are already significant and the selected Sotho/Babirwa communities are in the frontline of climate change. The study will facilitate the understanding of a more coherent perspective for the elaboration of strategies and policies to adapt to resource scarcity, extreme weather situations and related aspects of climate change.

Teaching and tutoring

Tutoring students Minor Field Studies; tutoring papers and thesis of undergraduate students; earlier lecturing at various courses in anthropology.