Thomas Bierschenk

Region of Interest	Africa
Primary Country of Residence	Germany
Title	Professor of Modern African Studies
Affiliation	Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Mainz, Germany
Email	biersche@mail.uni-mainz.de
Mailing Address	Institut für Ethnologie und Afrikastudien Johannes Gutenberg-Universität D-55099 Mainz Germany
Phone/Fax Number(s)	phone: +49 (0) 6131 392.2798 fax: +49 (06131) 392.3730
Websites	http://www.uni-mainz.de/~ifeas/
Countries of Specialization	Benin
Research Interests	Teaching and research in the areas of political sociology and anthropology of Africa, with a focus on state construction and the local state (democratization, decentralization, political economy of development), and a regional focus on French-speaking West Africa.
Teaching Interests	Teaching and research in the areas of political sociology and anthropology of Africa, with a focus on state construction and the local state (democratization, decentralization, political economy of development), and a regional focus on French-speaking West Africa.
Publications	Thomas Bierschenk & Jean-Pierre-Olivier de Sardan. "Powers in the Village: Rural Benin between Democratisation and Decentralisation," Africa. vol. 73, no. 2 (2003): 145-173.
Keywords	local governance ; democratization ; decentralization ; political economy ; development; West Africa