Esther Kronbein

University of Kassel (UKS, Germany)

2 – Partnership in the Global Economy & 3 – Partnership in knowledge production

Prof. Dr. Aram Ziai

Prof. Dr. Julius Kiiza

Globalization and Solidarity: Transformations in the Everyday Economy of Busoga, Uganda

This doctoral project examines the impact of global capitalism on the local economy of the rural Busoga region in Uganda, with a particular focus on alternative economic practices. The term “solidarity” refers to the concept of the social and solidarity economy (SSE). Economic activities that can be grouped under this term are examined, taking into account whether they have the potential to offer alternatives to existing concepts of capitalist development. This study aims to contribute to critical development studies and to the postcolonial critique of Western dominance in an epistemological sense. The theoretical framework of this dissertation is interdisciplinary and encompasses postcolonial theory, the post-development approach, and world-system analysis. The economies of the countries of the Global South are rarely examined at the micro-level and without the aim of “improving” their level of Western “development.” In contrast, this study is characterized by a genuine interest in the perspectives of the people affected and the ways in which globalization shapes their daily economic activities.

The research focus of this study lies on conducting problem-oriented interviews, a semi-structured form of qualitative interviews. These are divided into 30 “main interviews” with representatives of the general population from the Busoga region in Uganda, as well as ten so-called “expert interviews.” The latter were conducted with Ugandan academics, government officials, and politicians from Busoga. These individuals are considered experts because their positions grant them access to information that the respondents in the “main interviews” do not have. Consequently, they are able to provide valuable contextual information for the analysis of the “main interviews.” Additional contextual information is derived from the analysis of various types of documents. This study follows a postcolonial approach in its research methodology. Essentially, this means acting with a high degree of self-reflexivity (e.g., regarding positioning, power constellations, privileges), transparency, cultural sensitivity, and respect for the priorities of the research participants. The researcher must strive, wherever possible, to realize empowerment and reciprocity for the research participants—while honestly addressing the insurmountable limits of such endeavors (power constellations inherent in the research situation and global political-economic structures).

The observations shared by the interviewees provide valuable insights into their survival strategies and their capacity for action in the face of globalization, which is encroaching on their everyday lives. These include both individual and collective strategies. The latter encompass activities of the social and solidarity economy, such as cooperatives, savings and credit unions, funeral societies, and others. The study examines the potential of these activities both to help their members survive (better) and to represent alternatives to capitalist development in the narrower sense. The question of balancing the feasibility and radicalism of these alternatives plays an important role in the discussion.

• 2015: Master of Arts, University of Kaiserslautern, Germany, majoring in Economics and Management
• 2008: Master of Arts, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, majoring in Cultural Anthropology

• September 2020 – August 2021: Teaching position at the University of Applied Sciences for Economics and Social Sciences in Ludwigshafen am Rhein
• April 2020 – October 2020: Teaching position at the University of Kassel
• 01/2016 – 02/2019: Consultant for development projects (part-time) for the children’s aid organization Human Help Network e.V. (HHN), Walpodenstr. 10, 55116 Mainz, Germany.
• 03/2015 – 08/2015: Lecturer at the University of Applied Sciences in Ludwigshafen am Rhein
• 01/2011 – 12/2015: Project Coordinator for Africa (full-time) for the children’s aid organization Human Help Network e.V. (HHN), Walpodenstr. 10, 55116 Mainz, Germany.
• 03/2009 – 12/2010: Coordinator of HHN’s Rwanda Country Office (full-time, based in Kigali, Rwanda) for the children’s aid organization Human Help Network e.V. (HHN), Walpodenstr. 10, 55116 Mainz, Germany.
• Prior to that, I completed my studies and worked part-time as a warehouse worker.

• April 2017 – March 2020: Ph.D. fellowship from the University of Kassel

• May 2021: Decolonial Research Practice in Uganda. In: Schöneberg, Julia/Ziai, Aram (eds.): Decolonizing Development Policy and Post-Development Alternatives. Baden-Baden 2021: Nomos, 81–101. (“Decolonial research practice in Uganda”)