- Sociology Major
- Law, Justice, and Social Change Minor & Sub-major
- Sociology of Health and Medicine Minor & Sub-major
- Sociology & Social Work Sub-major
- Declaring & Advising
- Writing Awards
- Academic & Registration Info
- Curriculum Resources
- Funding Resources
- Honors
- Graduation
- Project Community
- Research
- SOUL
- Study Abroad
- Transfer Credit
- What can I do with a Sociology degree?
- Major of the Month
Descrption of research project:
Using archival, quantitative, and geospatial analysis, this project examines French settlement in Morocco and Algeria, how their postcolonial leaders reestablished control over their lands, and how land policies affected socioeconomic development in rural communities. I ask the question: why did independent Morocco and Algeria replicate different aspects of French colonial land policy? Algerian land reforms were far more radical than those in Morocco and did not substantively duplicate French efforts, but repeatedly differentiated between formerly settled and unsettled lands, precisely preserving the boundaries of settlement long after independence. This project seeks to explain why postcolonial Algerian reforms diverged from French policy but preserved the physical boundaries of French settlement, while Moroccan reforms preserved their substance. In examining the effect of these land policies, the project seeks to explain divergent socioeconomic outcomes in local communities and differential investment in rural irrigation, electrification, and transportation infrastructure.
Description of work that will be assigned to research assistants:
This project would be of particular interest to students seeking an introduction to geospatial (GIS) research methods (no previous experience required) or those interested in historical environmental policy and socioeconomic development. Research assistants for this project will assist in analyzing historical data and will work with the researcher to find a suitable task among the following options.
1) Qualitative analysis and coding of historical documents. French Language Required.
2) Dataset creation (transcription & data cleaning) and preliminary analysis. No language or quantitative skills required.
3) Geospatial dataset creation (transcription, georeferencing, geocoding, data cleaning, etc.) and preliminary analysis. No language, GIS, or quantitative skills required.
Faculty Member: Benjamin Kaplow
Contact Information: bkaplow@umich.edu
Average hours of work per week: 4-8
Range of credit hours students can earn: 1-2
Number of positions available: 1-2
