Languages and archives: Circumnavigating challenges in doing research in (queer) African studies
In this paper, I draw on my experiences as a researcher and scholar in (queer) African studies. I think through some of the challenges I faced as I worked on my last book, Queer Bodies in African Films (2022). I consider the complexities of conducting research in African studies by focusing on two interconnected issues: languages and archives. These repose on the effects of the geographical partitioning of the African continent into different geopolitical groupings and linguistic zones. I will consider how languages have the potential of curtailing the kinds of narratives and archives that can enrich discourses in African studies, queer African studies in particular. I will think through the dangers of monolingual thinking and its effects on the diversity of voices in African studies.
