Alcinda Manuel Honwana (born 1962) is a
Mozambican anthropologist who is a Centennial Professor and the Strategic Director of the Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa
[LSE profile](_blank)
/ref> at the London School of Economics and Political Science
The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) is a public university, public research university located in London, England and a constituent college of the federal University of London. Founded in 1895 by Fabian Society members Sidn ...
. Her research considers young people, social movements, political protests and social change. She served as a Senior Adviser for the United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoni ...
in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
Early life and education
Honwana was born in Mozambique
Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...
. She completed her undergraduate studies at the Eduardo Mondlane University
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, type = Public
, established = 21 August 1962
, rector = Manuel Guilherme Júnior, PhD
, students = 39,078 (2015)
, undergrad = 35,809
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, specialising in history and geography. She moved to Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...
for her graduate studies, working toward a master's degree (maîtrise) in sociology
Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of empirical investigation an ...
at the University of Paris VIII. For her doctoral studies Honwana moved to the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
, joining SOAS University of London
SOAS University of London (; the School of Oriental and African Studies) is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, SOAS is located in the Bloomsbury a ...
to study social anthropology
Social anthropology is the study of patterns of behaviour in human societies and cultures. It is the dominant constituent of anthropology throughout the United Kingdom and much of Europe, where it is distinguished from cultural anthropology. In ...
. Her early research considered post-war healing and social reintegration in Mozambique.
Research
After completing her doctorate in 1996, Honwana was appointed a Senior Lecturer at the University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town (UCT) ( af, Universiteit van Kaapstad, xh, Yunibesithi ya yaseKapa) is a public research university in Cape Town, South Africa. Established in 1829 as the South African College, it was granted full university statu ...
. She served on the board of the from 1998 to 2002. In New York she worked for the United Nations Office for Children and Armed Conflict led by Olara Otunnu
Olara A. Otunnu (born 6 September 1950) is a Ugandan politician, diplomat, and lawyer. He was President of the Uganda People's Congress (UPC), a political party, from 2010 to 2015 and stood as the party's candidate in the 2011 presidential elec ...
. Honwana then became a Director at the Social Science Research Council in New York and held a visiting position at The New School for Social Research
The New School for Social Research (NSSR) is a graduate-level educational institution that is one of the divisions of The New School in New York City, United States. The university was founded in 1919 as a home for progressive era thinkers. NSS ...
teaching a graduate course in Anthropology. She joined the Board of the African Studies Association in the USA and acted as an adviser for the United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoni ...
.
In 2005 Honwana moved to the United Kingdom, where she was made Chair of International Development at the Open University. There she further developed her studies on youth politics and youth transitions adopting the term waithood, which describes the prolonged period of time African children face between childhood and adulthood. For Honwana, waithood is a period in which young people are “no longer children but not yet independent adults ... it is a precarious but also a very dynamic period in young people's lives”. Honwana has argued that youth protest movements arise from their experiences of socioeconomic and political marginalisation. In her view, the challenge for youth protest movements has often been how to translate their aspirations beyond the street demonstrations into formal political agendas and governance action. She was made the 2007 Prince Claus Chair for Development and Equity at Institute of Social Studies and Utrecht University in the Netherlands. She delivered a TED talk in London in 2012, where she discussed how young people in Africa can be key drivers for socioeconomic and political change.
Honwana was appointed to the London School of Economics and Political Science
The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) is a public university, public research university located in London, England and a constituent college of the federal University of London. Founded in 1895 by Fabian Society members Sidn ...
in 2019, where she was made a Centennial Professor and the Strategic Director at LSE's Firoz Lalji Centre for Africa. Here she has led calls to decolonise the academy and to create space for new epistemologies. In 2018 Honwana delivered the Kapuscinski Development Lecture of the United Nations Development Programme
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)french: Programme des Nations unies pour le développement, PNUD is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human dev ...
, where she discussed the politics of African youth migration and social change. Alcinda Honwana received a Honorary Doctorate from Utrecht University in 2021 for her contributions to the study of youth in Africa and for bridging academic research with policymaking.
Selected publications
Books
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References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Honwana, Alcinda
1962 births
Living people
Eduardo Mondlane University alumni
University of Paris alumni
Alumni of SOAS University of London
Academics of the London School of Economics
Mozambican women anthropologists