Thomas Wright
Supervisor: Gerard McCann
Thesis
Thesis
Thesis Title: Constituencies of Control' and the normalisation of coercion in Kenya’s Mau Mau rebellion, 1952-60
Research
Research
My thesis locates itself on the contention that connections between field administrators and loyalist groups in colonial bureaucracies institutionalise acts of brutality. Centring on Kenya’s Mau Mau rebellion (1952-60), my study assesses how cultures of domination develop through what I term 'constituencies of control'.
Focusing not on the paramilitary perpetrators of violence as is traditional Mau Mau scholarship, my study concerns instead the everyday, quotidian controls that created coercive structures of domination within the colony.
Crucially, my project uses controversially declassified documents, to reveal administrivia’s role in normalising cultures of violence in Africa.
In so doing, it contributes to today’s emotive debates about Britain’s (post)colonialism.
External Activities
External Activities
Outside of research I am the Captain of the University of York Men’s Handball team, doubling as a coach for the team. I am also involved in fostering community participation and offering pastoral support in my role as a Wentworth Graduate College tutor.
