Barbara M. Cooper

Barbara M. Cooper is a Professor of History at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, specializing in West African history, religion, gender, and health. With a Ph.D. from Boston University and fieldwork experience spanning three decades in Niger, her research integrates oral and archival sources to explore cultural intersections of political economy, gender, law, agriculture, and family life.

• Education: Ph.D., Boston University; B.A., St. John’s College (Annapolis)

Her scholarship focuses on reproductive politics, religious landscapes, and social transformations in the Sahel. Recent work includes Yearning and Refusal: An Ethnography of Female Fertility Management in Niamey, Niger (2023) and PROCRÉATION ET IMAGINAIRES COLLECTIFS (2021). Publications also examine maternal health, Islamic practices, and colonial legal systems.

Scientific Awards:

• Melville J. Herskovits Prize (2006)
• Finalist Melvin J. Herskovits Award (1997)
• Mellon New Directions Fellowship (2008-2010)
• National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Stipend (1998)

Cooper's articles and books analyze gender implications in hybrid legal systems, missionary healthcare, and cultural resistance. Her teaching includes courses on African history, gender, and health, reflecting her interdisciplinary approach.