William (Billy) Jones
Division of Ethnology
About me
I am a PhD student in Ethnology - which essentially means I study culture. Originally from the UK, I moved to Sweden in 2016 to do a Masters in Lund (and get away from Brexit). Before that, I worked in grassroots development in rural Kenya and gained an acute awareness of the importance of the local cultural context for sustainability. This led me to pursue a career in exploring the role of culture in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
About my research project
My current research explores the nexus between pastoralist communities and development agencies in Northern Kenya. It aims to expose policy-makers and development practitioners to the cultural dynamics of pastoral communities with a view to generate dialogue and improve the social sustainability of regional development agendas. Ethnographic accounts of pastoralist livelihoods in Dryland areas will provide policy-makers with the qualitative knowledge required to make informed decisions and increase the impact of their efforts to reach the SDGs by 2030.
My research interests include land ownership, inter-tribal conflict, indigenous knowledge, and gender roles in agro-pastoral practices.