Group Members
Members
Morgan
i am primarily an economic and social historian of the british atlantic world in the ‘long’ eighteenth century (1688 - 1840). my particular academic specialism is the history of merchants, ships, foreign trade and ports. i also have subsidiary academic interests in australian history and in music history. i have previously taught in schools, colleges and other universities before coming to brunel. i am a fellow of the royal historical society. qualifications: ba 1st class honours, combined arts, university of leicester dphil modern history, new college, oxford pgce history and english, king’s college, cambridge my research and publication interests include the following: the dimensions of the british slave trade in space and through time; the organisation of the slave trade; slave work conditions on plantations; slavery, the slave trade and abolitionism; maritime exploration in the 18th and 19th centuries in the atlantic and pacific oceans; australian music history; the history of conductors and orchestras; the editing of historical texts. slavery and the slave trade maritime history australian history caribbean history undergraduate programmes module convenor migration and the settler world, 1600-1914 (yr 1) australia and the modern world, 1788-2000 (yr 2)the british maritime world, 1660-1815 (yr 3) administration exam coordinator
![Professor Kenneth Morgan]()
Professor Kenneth Morgan
I am primarily an economic and social historian of the British Atlantic world in the ‘long’ eighteenth century (1688 - 1840). My particular academic specialism is the history of merchants, ships, foreign trade and ports. I also have subsidiary academic interests in Australian history and in music history. I have previously taught in schools, colleges and other universities before coming to Brunel. I am a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. Qualifications: BA 1st class honours, Combined Arts, University of Leicester DPhil Modern History, New College, Oxford PGCE History and English, King’s College, Cambridge My research and publication interests include the following: the dimensions of the British slave trade in space and through time; the organisation of the slave trade; slave work conditions on plantations; slavery, the slave trade and abolitionism; maritime exploration in the 18th and 19th centuries in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans; Australian music history; the history of conductors and orchestras; the editing of historical texts. Slavery and the slave trade Maritime history Australian history Caribbean history Undergraduate Programmes Module convenor Migration and the Settler World, 1600-1914 (Yr 1) Australia and the Modern World, 1788-2000 (Yr 2)The British Maritime World, 1660-1815 (Yr 3) Administration Exam Coordinator
Whittaker
i am a historian of modern africa, with a particular focus on the borderlands of kenya, somalia, and south sudan. my research explores connections between frontier security, state-led development, and identity formation. i am interested in how colonial methods of population control—such as forced villagization and collective punishment—have been internalized and adapted by post-independence states. by combining archival research with oral testimonies, my work challenges hegemonic narratives that cast frontier communities as 'ungovernable' or 'inherently criminal'. instead, i am interested in how these populations have historically negotiated their rights and citizenship from the margins. my recent work also extends into the politics of memorialization, examining how the british public and state contest or celebrate their imperial past through colonial statues and monuments. before joining politics and history at brunel in september 2013, i taught history at soas. i completed my phd in african history at soas in 2011. my research is organized around several interrelated themes that bridge the colonial and post-independence eras in northeast africa: 1. state violence and the 'shifta' conflict in kenya: a major part of my research focuses on the shifta conflict (1963–1968) in kenya. i move away from purely nationalist interpretations of the war to explore its socioeconomic dynamics, showing how it combined a liberation struggle with local-level resource competition. i have documented the enduring legacy of forced villagization—whereby the state effectively criminalized pastoralism and created a cycle of impoverishment that continues to inform northern kenyans' sense of community victimization. 2. securitized development: i examine how development has frequently served as a mechanism for security and state control rather than purely for social welfare. my work on the dixey water and grazing scheme in northern kenya demonstrates how colonial officials used environmental conservation as a pretext for anchoring nomadic populations and monitoring borders. this research highlights the continuities in how modern states still attempt to broadcast power through infrastructure in 'ungoverned spaces'. 3. youth and politics: i am interested in how the state constructs problematic identities, focusing specifically on somali youth in kenya. my research traces the historical roots of the 'spectre of radicalization' arguing that current typecasting of young somali males as security threats is a direct continuation of colonial -era ethnic profiling that dismissed legitimate political grievances as 'banditry'. i have also researched the role of education in state-building, exemplified by my study of rumbek secondary school in south sudan. i examine how schoolboy peer cultures and education-related migration contributed to a distinct southern sudanese political consciousness that eventually challenged northern domination and the configuration of the state. 4. urban somali history: beyond the frontier, i have researched the long-term presence of somalis in urban centres like nairobi. my work uncovers a genealogy of residence dating back to 1915, showing how urban somalis have used the law to negotiate their rights to tenure and settlement in the face of colonial atempts to relocate them to 'nomadic camps'. new projects: 1. statue wars and the afterlives of imperial monuments: my recent collaborative research extends into the politics of memorialisation and the global statue wars that have erupted since 2020. this project explores how monuments are not fixed in stone but are constantly reinterpreted, toppled, or repurposed to serve contemporary political agendas. the focus for this research is the lendy brothers—charles and edward—whose memorials across the uk, sierra leone and zimbabwe became unlikely flashpoints in the 2020 black lives matter protests. this work uncovers a stark disconnect between historical reality and modern myth-making. 2. the silent history of the somali youth league (syl) in kenya: i am currently developing a new project exploring the clandestine history of the somali youth league (syl) in kenya. while often framed as a pan-somali nationalist party based in mogadishu, the syl in kenya operated as a vital, and often suppressed, movement for borderland rights. this project draws on the broader history of clandestine movements in colonial africa to understand how the legacy of syl resistance informs contemporary politics in the horn of africa. african history kenya and somalia colonialism and decolonization development borders and frontiers undergraduate programmes module convenor africa and the world (yr 1) colonialism and decolonization in africa (yr 2) violence and conflict in eastern africa (yr 3)
![Dr Hannah Whittaker]()
Dr Hannah Whittaker
I am a historian of modern Africa, with a particular focus on the borderlands of Kenya, Somalia, and South Sudan. My research explores connections between frontier security, state-led development, and identity formation. I am interested in how colonial methods of population control—such as forced villagization and collective punishment—have been internalized and adapted by post-independence states. By combining archival research with oral testimonies, my work challenges hegemonic narratives that cast frontier communities as 'ungovernable' or 'inherently criminal'. Instead, I am interested in how these populations have historically negotiated their rights and citizenship from the margins. My recent work also extends into the politics of memorialization, examining how the British public and state contest or celebrate their imperial past through colonial statues and monuments. Before joining Politics and History at Brunel in September 2013, I taught History at SOAS. I completed my PhD in African History at SOAS in 2011. My research is organized around several interrelated themes that bridge the colonial and post-independence eras in Northeast Africa: 1. State violence and the 'shifta' conflict in Kenya: A major part of my research focuses on the Shifta conflict (1963–1968) in Kenya. I move away from purely nationalist interpretations of the war to explore its socioeconomic dynamics, showing how it combined a liberation struggle with local-level resource competition. I have documented the enduring legacy of forced villagization—whereby the state effectively criminalized pastoralism and created a cycle of impoverishment that continues to inform northern Kenyans' sense of community victimization. 2. Securitized development: I examine how development has frequently served as a mechanism for security and state control rather than purely for social welfare. My work on the Dixey water and grazing scheme in northern Kenya demonstrates how colonial officials used environmental conservation as a pretext for anchoring nomadic populations and monitoring borders. This research highlights the continuities in how modern states still attempt to broadcast power through infrastructure in 'ungoverned spaces'. 3. Youth and politics: I am interested in how the state constructs problematic identities, focusing specifically on Somali youth in Kenya. My research traces the historical roots of the 'spectre of radicalization' arguing that current typecasting of young Somali males as security threats is a direct continuation of colonial -era ethnic profiling that dismissed legitimate political grievances as 'banditry'. I have also researched the role of education in state-building, exemplified by my study of Rumbek Secondary School in South Sudan. I examine how schoolboy peer cultures and education-related migration contributed to a distinct southern Sudanese political consciousness that eventually challenged northern domination and the configuration of the state. 4. Urban Somali history: Beyond the frontier, I have researched the long-term presence of Somalis in urban centres like Nairobi. My work uncovers a genealogy of residence dating back to 1915, showing how urban Somalis have used the law to negotiate their rights to tenure and settlement in the face of colonial atempts to relocate them to 'nomadic camps'. New Projects: 1. Statue wars and the afterlives of imperial monuments: My recent collaborative research extends into the politics of memorialisation and the global statue wars that have erupted since 2020. This project explores how monuments are not fixed in stone but are constantly reinterpreted, toppled, or repurposed to serve contemporary political agendas. The focus for this research is the Lendy brothers—Charles and Edward—whose memorials across the UK, Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe became unlikely flashpoints in the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests. This work uncovers a stark disconnect between historical reality and modern myth-making. 2. The silent history of the Somali Youth League (SYL) in Kenya: I am currently developing a new project exploring the clandestine history of the Somali Youth League (SYL) in Kenya. While often framed as a pan-Somali nationalist party based in Mogadishu, the SYL in Kenya operated as a vital, and often suppressed, movement for borderland rights. This project draws on the broader history of clandestine movements in colonial Africa to understand how the legacy of SYL resistance informs contemporary politics in the Horn of Africa. African history Kenya and Somalia Colonialism and decolonization Development Borders and frontiers Undergraduate Programmes Module convenor Africa and the World (Yr 1) Colonialism and Decolonization in Africa (Yr 2) Violence and Conflict in Eastern Africa (Yr 3)
PhD students
- Mr Baskar Dasgupta
- Mr Johannes Brooks
Our staff have obtained prestigious fellowships, such as a Visiting Fellowship at the Institute of European Global Studies at the University of Basel (Carrol), or a Visiting Fellowship of Mansfield College, Oxford (Dornan). Whittaker’s monograph Insurgency and Counterinsurgency in Kenya (Brill) was a finalist for the African Studies Association’s Bethwell A. Ogot prize for best book on Eastern Africa. Furthermore, Carrol is Director of the French History Network as well as a member of the executive committee of the Society for the Study of French History. Dornan is on the History UK Steering Committee. Our staff have also appeared on BBC1 ‘Heir Hunters, on Russia Today’s ‘Crosstalk’, or on Russian Federation State TV.