Our vision & mission

The Sociology of Development and Change chair group focuses on the structures and practices of development and change with a particular scientific interest in inequality, marginalization and political agency. The group’s vision is to be a world-leading, politically engaged and interdisciplinary research and educational centre in development studies, political ecology, anthropology of law and crisis and disaster studies. Our mission is to gain and communicate a deeper understanding of inequality and marginalisation generated by global and local structures of power and political-economy and so contribute to social and environmental justice. At the same time we study how actors generate forms of agency and practices that enable them to deal with these dynamics and create new opportunities.

Our objectives are:

  1. to lead a cutting-edge research, teaching and publication agenda that contributes to development studies, political ecology, anthropology of law and crisis and disaster studies;
  2. to contribute to a deeper understanding of processes of development and change and developing associated research capacity around the world;
  3. to contribute to socially just, economically equitable, sustainable and peaceful solutions to twenty-first century development problems;
  4. to contribute to the democratisation of scientific knowledge through research transparency, stakeholder involvement, social engagement and public debate.