Education/Qualification: PhD (Sociology) University of Ghana, Legon 2011-2014
MPHIL (Sociology) University of Ghana, Legon (2007-2009)
Certificate in Critical Analytical Approaches, University of Tromso, Norway (January –December, 2009)
B.A (Sociology with Political Science), University of Ghana, Legon 2002-2006
Research Interest:
Mark Kwaku Mensah Obeng applies qualitative research techniques to explore the people-to-people exchanges between Chinese and African actors. He holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of Ghana, Legon where he currently serves as a Senior Lecturer. His research focuses on areas such as the economy, consumption, formal education, and the emergence of the new elite. His PhD dissertation focused on the transnational economic activities of Ghanaian traders involved in the importation and distribution of Made-in-China products in the country. This saw him travel with some traders from Accra to Guangzhou and Yiwu as they embarked on their economic activities. His recent publications have appeared in Asian Ethnicity, Canadian Journal of African Studies, Contemporary Journal of African Studies, Review of Social Studies, Legon Journal of Sociology and Cogent Social Sciences. His ongoing research titled 'Deconstructing the uptake of Made-in-China products' is supported by the Building Africa's Next Generation of Academics project (BANGA-AFRICA) of the University of Ghana with support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Mark is also a recipient of the Just Tech Covid-19 Rapid Response Grant from the Social Science Research Council (SSRC), USA. Mark was a postdoctoral research fellow at the School of Interdisciplinary Global Studies, University of South Florida, USA. He is also a research fellow at the Afro-Sino Center of International Relations and an Executive board member of the Chinese in Africa African in China Research network.
Academic Awards / Grants
Research Abstract Ghanaians and Chinese trade in Chinese-made goods in Ghanaian markets. The Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), the government agency responsible for the promotion of investment in Ghana, however, puts limits on foreign participation in the retail sector. The GIPC Act 825, grants Ghanaians exclusive rights to the ‘sale of anything in a market, petty trading, or selling from a stall’. This exclusivity notwithstanding, there is evidence that non-Ghanaians, particularly the Chinese, are trading in the retail market space. The literature on Chinese entrepreneurship in Africa, largely explores African opposition to this phenomenon. In this paper, I suggest that Ghanaian traders’ responses to the presence of Chinese traders is a function of the extent to which the Chinese presence serves as a threat or an opportunity for the growth of their businesses. While some groups are opposed to their presence, others forge alliances with the Chinese to serve their mutual interests.
Selected Publications
Professional Society