Reports from Fair-trade Cocoa Research

Findings from Miriam’s research on the experiences of smallholder cocoa farmers with fair-trade certification are available as two-page research briefs (in English and Twi) and longer research reports (English only).

Publications

Peer-Reviewed Publications

Hird-Younger, Miriam and Sarah O’Sullivan. 2024. Signing documents: Accountability politics and racialized suspicion in Africa's development audits. Political and Legal Anthropology 47(1): 10-22. https://doi.org/10.1111/plar.12558

Vercillo, Siera and Miriam Hird-Younger. 2019. Farmer Resistance to Agriculture Commercialisation in Northern Ghana.” Third World Quarterly (40): 763-779.

Gaudet, Stephanie, Miriam Hird-Younger, Marie-André Thériault and Karine Thibeaut. 2012. “Devenir adulte : Le rapport à la religion dans la construction identitaire des jeunes de la diaspora palestinienne au Canada.” Journal Diversité Urbaine. 

Hird-Younger, Miriam. Fall/Winter, 2010. “Accountability In Rights-Based Approaches To Development: The Emergence of Transnational Forms of Governmentality.” Undercurrent.

Book Reviews

Hird-Younger, Miriam. 2022. “Book Review: The Twilight of Cutting: African Activism and Life after NGOs by Saida Hodžić.” Medical Anthropology Quarterly. 

Hird-Younger, Miriam. 2017. “Book Review: On Their Own by Alison Goebel.” Canadian Journal of Development Studies.

Reports and Other Publications

Hird-Younger, Miriam and Mariana Valverde. 2021. “A Case Study of the Governance of a U of T Capital Project: 90 Queen’s Park.” Working Paper # 5, Discovering University Worlds, University of Toronto.

Hird-Younger, Miriam and Mariana Valverde. 2020 “University as Investor: Process and Accountability.” Working Paper 3, Discovering University Worlds, University of Toronto.

Hird-Younger, Miriam. 2020. “Informal workers are citizens too: Progressive Tax Initiative.” Citizen Watch Newsletter, Ghana.

Chan, Leslie, Girish Daswani, Miriam Hird-Younger, Mark Hunter, and Kieran Way. 2020. “Equity and Online Learning Survey Results”. Research Memo 1, Discovering University Worlds, University of Toronto.

Hird-Younger, Miriam (ed). 2014. “10 Years of Investing in Agriculture in Ghana: AgEx 2004-2014.” Engineers Without Borders Canada.

Hird-Younger, Miriam and Brent Simpson. 2013. “Exploring the Women Extension Volunteer Programme as a Tool for Increasing Extension Provision to Rural Female Farmers.” Modernizing Extension and Advisory Services (MEAS).

Blog: unfinishedstories.net (archived) – Exploration of development issues based on professional work in Ghana.  

Peer-Reviewed Conference Presentations

Hird-Younger, Miriam. 2021. “Gatekeeping Social Impact: Shifting logics of worth in development in Ghana.” African Studies Association. Virtual.

Hird-Younger, Miriam. 2021. “Claiming Authority: Moral positioning in speaking for civil society in Ghana.” American Anthropology Association Annual Meeting. Baltimore/virtual.

Hird-Younger, Miriam. 2021. “Affective Auditing: Emotional registers and straining for recognition in development bureaucracy.” International Society for Ethnology and Folklore. Helsinki.

Hird-Younger, Miriam. 2021. “Making Gender Legible: The Politics of Gender Audits in the Time of #AidToo.” Canadian Anthropology Society. Guelph, ON. Awarded best student paper by CASCA Women’s Network.

Hird-Younger, Miriam. 2021. “Leave No One Behind: The politics of performing “good” inclusion in development practice in Ghana.” Association of Social Anthropologists. St. Andrews.

Hird-Younger, Miriam. 2021. “University as Investor: Process and Accountability,” Centre for Criminology and Socio-Legal Studies, Graduate Conference, Toronto.

Hird-Younger, Miriam. September, 2020. “Affective Auditing: Suspicion, refusal, and anger in development bureaucracy.” Royal Anthropology Institute. London, UK. (upcoming, accepted)

Hird-Younger, Miriam. July, 2020. “Everyday Mistrust: Examining trust-based governance of civil society in Ghana.” European Association of Social Anthropology. Lisbon.

Hird-Younger, Miriam. November, 2019. “The Productivity of Mistrust: Examining Relationships of Accountability in Ghana’s Development Sector.” Canadian Anthropology Society/American Anthropology Association Annual Meeting. Vancouver.

Hird-Younger, Miriam. July, 2018. “Reimagining Participation: Situating Trust within Agricultural Development in Ghana.” International Sociological Association World Congress. Toronto.

Hird-Younger, Miriam. March, 2018. ““Receive and Eat”: Examining trust in agricultural development in Ghana.” Medusa: Anthropology Graduate Student Colloquium. University of Toronto.

Hird-Younger, Miriam. March, 2017. “Trust in Participatory Development: Potential Moves to Innocence.” Medusa: Anthropology Graduate Student Colloquium. University of Toronto.

Hird-Younger, Miriam. June, 2016. “Rethinking Participation: The Role of Trust.” Canadian Sociology Association Annual Meeting. Congress of Social Sciences and Humanities. Calgary.

Hird-Younger, Miriam. June, 2016. “Put Your Trust in Me: Building Partnerships in Community-based Research.” Qualitatives. St. Catherines.

Invited Presentations

2021  “The Productivity of Mistrust: Commensality and Compromise in Development Partnerships in Ghana,” Centre for Ethics, University of Toronto.

Hird-Younger, Miriam. Feb, 2020. Discussant for Medusa Graduate Conference.  Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto.

Hird-Younger, Miriam. Feb, 2020. “Awkward Moments: Positionality and Ethics in Fieldwork.” Back From the Field Event, Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto.

Practitioner Conference Presentations

Hird-Younger, Miriam. Poster Presentation. Nov, 2019. “Considering Mistrust: Partnerships for the Sustainable Development Goals.” Summit for Global Leadership, Canadian Council for International Cooperation. Ottawa.

Hird-Younger, Miriam. Jan, 2014. “Where to go now? EWB and Global Food Systems – Advanced Session.” Engineers Without Borders Canada (EWB), National Conference.

Hird-Younger, Miriam. June, 2013. “Women Extension Volunteers: An Extension Approach for Female Farmers in Northern Ghana.” Modernizing Extension and Advisory Services (MEAS), Global Symposium. Washington, DC.

Hird-Younger, Miriam. Sept, 2012. “Building Business, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Skills in Extension Education.” Business Orientation in Rural Advisory Services Panel. Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS), Annual Meeting. Manila, Philippines.