The field of study is comparative African politics from the 1970s to present, specialising in the role that trade unions play, as a major component of civil society, in political transitions from authoritarian rule in Africa. The broader aim of the research is to eventually compare this phenomenon to transitions in other regions in the world.
Much of the research already completed on transitional politics throughout the world has disregarded the role of civil society groups in transitions, in many cases deeming them as 'ephemeral' and thus of little importance in periods of transition. However, my research builds on the few accounts that argue that civil society is a vital component of transitional politics. In these accounts, trade unions, as a component of civil society, are considered important actors in the study of transition due to the organizational capacity they possess - in comparison with other civil society groups - to assemble organized labour to strike which can adversely impact on an economy and the ability of a state to rule effectively. As such, the ways in which mobilization by trade unions may negatively affect a regime's legitimacy are highlighted in terms of their potential to shape the conditions under which a transition takes place. I utilize the role of trade unions, as a key element of civil society, to develop a dual-pronged approach that recognizes that the role of civil society combined with elite politics is imperative in building a comprehensive comparative theory of transition.
I take a political economy approach to the comparative study of democratic transitions in Africa. I examine the economic complexity of a state and argue that the type of economy fostered leads to the development of politically important economic actors that derive relative power from the sectoral base of that country’s economy. At times of regime instability the relative power of economic actors will determine the transitional outcome.