My dissertation examines the development of Kenyan and Tanzanian language policies – the regulations governing the use of different languages – in the educational system and legislative debates and their influence on how Kenyans and Tanzanians understand and identify with their nations. In 2019, I carried out qualitative research for 11 months in Kenya and Tanzania, including semi-structured interviews with more than 160 Kenyans and Tanzanians, ethnographic observation, and archival research in Kenya National Archives, the Tanzania National Archives, and other collections.
I am grateful to the U.S. Department of Education, the National Science Foundation, the American Political Science Association, the Georgetown University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the Georgetown University Department of Government, the African Studies Association, the Association for the Study of the Middle East and Africa, the Institute for Humane Studies, and the Cosmos Club Foundation for their support of my dissertation research.
