This could be like something out of Jumanji...

Well, after years of reading about and studying Africa in the classroom, my first journey into the field begins tomorrow. It's a little daunting, but at the same time really exciting. It was certainly fun reading about all the fun diseases I could get over there as well as about these vipers that will spit venom into your eyes causing you to go blind! Dude ...

I arrive in Accra on Monday morning. I read in another blog that sometimes the plane is greeted by dancers and drummers in traditional costume. That would be SO cool. From there I'll take a taxi (an adventure in itself) to the University of Ghana, which I'll call home for two weeks, meeting professors and getting my surveys together.

So what am I actually researching over there?

I am attempting to find explanations for why people alter the intensity of their ethnic identification in different situations. I will be challenging the standing notion that ethnicity is an intrinsic feeling caused by "tribal instinct", but rather is a "device" that is used differently in different situations--for example, it is important when socializing or trying to get a promotion but not so important in other places. Ideally, my surveys will measure the flexibility of ethnic identification with some fancy new techniques. Some of the necessary R stat programming code was written only a couple weeks ago!

Anyways, time to finish the last of the packing and get some sleep. I'll post again once I'm safely settled in Accra. Some of you reading this may have received this in your inbox. If you wish to view some options or unsubscribe, please click here.