Graduate Scholar: Kazmel Hamweemba

Here, we talk to Kazmel Hamweemba, who is in the third year of a DPhil in International Development, and has just returned from ethnographic fieldwork in Livingstone, Zambia, where he has been researching the social, cultural, and emotional dimensions of manhood in contemporary urban Zambia.

I am now in the third year of my DPhil, which so far has been both intellectually rigorous and personally enriching. During the first year, I engaged fully with academic life at Merton and within the wider University, while completing the required training and coursework set by my department.

The second year was devoted entirely to ethnographic fieldwork in Livingstone, a town in southern Zambia. Over the course of twelve months, I conducted extensive in-depth engagement with participants and local communities. This work involved sustained observation and dialogue aimed at understanding the social, cultural, and emotional dimensions of manhood in contemporary urban Zambia. My research investigates how economically marginalised young men negotiate and reconfigure what are commonly regarded as ‘traditional’ or ‘normative’ pathways to manhood in conditions of prolonged economic precarity. Through an examination of their marital and household practices, the project demonstrates how these men challenge dominant expectations of male adulthood and articulate alternative trajectories for becoming men.

My fieldwork proved to be as demanding as it was intellectually rewarding. Spending an entire year away from Oxford required adapting to unfamiliar rhythms, navigating logistical complexities, and managing periods of emotional and financial strain. Field-related expenses ranged from accommodation and transportation to modest tokens of appreciation for participants who generously contributed their time and perspectives. These costs could easily have become prohibitive without the generous support provided through the scholarship. Your financial backing ensured that this essential phase of the research was not only feasible but conducted with the care, depth, and ethical commitment it required. I remain profoundly grateful for this support.

Being away from the College also afforded me the opportunity to reflect on the extent to which Merton enriches the experience of graduate study at Oxford. From welfare provision to intellectual and social activities, the College’s strong sense of community is something I came to value even more during my time in the field. Despite the geographic distance, I felt consistently supported. Merton continued to offer access to relevant resources and guidance, while links to virtual research training sessions, conference opportunities, and academic events helped me remain anchored within the wider scholarly community. This sustained connection played an important role in mitigating the isolation and pressures that can accompany extended periods of fieldwork.

I have now returned to Oxford and begun the process of drafting and writing my thesis. Translating twelve months of fieldwork into a coherent written analysis has been both intellectually stimulating and demanding. Throughout this transition, Merton has remained consistently supportive. This support has included graduate writing workshops, which have provided valuable opportunities to engage with the wider graduate community, as well as the guidance of a College adviser who regularly checks on my academic progress and overall well-being.

Alongside my core research, I have continued to participate in broader intellectual conversations within my field and to reflect on the relationship between scholarship and lived experience. I have attended and presented at academic conferences, and I have also sustained a practice of reflective writing, occasionally transforming fieldwork observations into short essays or analytical notes, some of which I hope to develop and share more widely.

Thank you once again for your continued support. It has made an immeasurable difference to the development of my project and has played a significant role in shaping my growth as a scholar.