Dr. Blair Rutherford

Biography

Blair Rutherford is a professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Carleton University. His research interests lie in political anthropology and political economy, particularly as they relate to issues of engendered livelihoods in Africa. He has conducted extensive ethnographic research in southern Africa, focusing on the cultural politics surrounding commercial farm workers in Zimbabwe and migrant laborers in northern South Africa. His work explores how economic strategies and institutional frameworks shape access to resources amid the political and economic crises in these regions. He is currently engaged in interdisciplinary research projects that examine gender and artisanal small-scale mining in various African countries, along with projects evaluating the pandemic's impact on university students in Canada and Africa. Rutherford has supervised numerous graduate students and has taught courses on topics ranging from anthropology of natural resources to migration and diaspora studies. His publications include works on gendering livelihoods in artisanal mining and the political economy of land in Zimbabwe, reflecting his commitment to bridging theoretical inquiry with practical implications for communities in the Global South.

Research Interests

Experience

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