About
Jennifer Cole is a Professor at the University of Chicago, specializing in social and cultural anthropology. Her research examines the interplay between personal development and broader political, economic, and cultural transformations, with a focus on Africa—particularly Madagascar—and its colonial and post-colonial interactions with France. Her seminal work explores memory, generational change, gender, sexuality, kinship, and migration dynamics.
Her research interests include the ritual mediation of colonial memory, youth futures in urban Madagascar, and the intersections of gender, migration, and religion. Cole's publications trace how Pentecostalism and transnational marriages reshape social regeneration and identity, emphasizing how historical legacies inform contemporary change.
Publications emphasize critical themes: post-colonial identity negotiation, gender empowerment through religious conversion, and affective circuits in migration. Awards and grants are not explicitly listed, though her Fulbright-funded work underscores significant contributions to anthropology. Cole teaches graduate seminars on gender, nationalism, and African mobility, mentoring students in related fields.
