Dr Martha Geiger Mwenitete is the Chair of Strategic Development and Institute Manager at FLIA, and a transdisciplinary scholar interested in animals, the more-than-human, and multispecies environments. She holds a PhD from the University of Warwick in Sociology and an MA in Geography from the University of Guelph. Her current research focuses broadly on multispecies labour, investigating how humans and animals can live and work well together in a changing climate to shape our shared futures. For over a decade, she has studied animal labour, particularly involving donkeys and horses, their human co-workers, and their intertwined well-being in Eastern and Southern Africa.
Methodologically, she has advanced research practices within animal studies, drawing on animal welfare and ethology to include the perspectives and experiences of animals within social life and to challenge dominant anthropocentric approaches to studying human-animal relations. She has also intervened in the ethical and affective challenges of undertaking multispecies fieldwork.
As an action-oriented scholar, she has worked collaboratively with animal welfare scientists, veterinarians, ethologists, geographers, sociologists, and anthropologists to produce interdisciplinary projects and outputs that move beyond disciplinary conventions to enhance practice and policy. She has been a part of the and worked with animal-focused charities such as and the
At the Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa, she wears two hats, as well as conducting research she also serves as the Institute’s Strategic Manager, working to develop and scale the Institute's profile, impact, and programming.
Publications:
Geiger, M. (2023). . Sociological Research Online. 29(4): 842-860.
Geiger, M. (2023). . The Conversation UK.
Geiger, M. Hockenhull, J., Buller, H., Engida, G., Getchew, M., Jemal Kedir, M., Goshu, L., Banerjee, A., Burden, F. & Whay, R. (2023). Society & Animals. 32(5-6): 602-630.
Geiger, M., Hockenhull, J., Buller, H., Engida, G., Getchew, M., Burden, F., & Whay, R. (2021). . Animal Welfare. 30: 269-277.
Geiger, M., Hockenhull, J., Buller, H., Engida, G., Getchew, M., Burden, F., & Whay, R. (2020). . Frontiers in Veterinary Science. 60(7): 1-13.
Geiger, M. (2020). . Africa at 911勛圖blog.
Geiger, M. & Hovorka, A., J. (2015). . Development in Practice, 25(8):1091-1104.
Geiger, M. & Hovorka, A., J. (2015). . Environment and Planning D: Society and Space, 33(5):1-19.
Geiger, M., & Hovorka, A., J. (2015). . Veterinary Record Open, 2(1):1-7