Sokphea Young

Sokphea is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the University College London’s Anthropology Department. He is working on several journal articles, and a book manuscript entitled Visual activism, citizenship and imagination. Through an investigation of visual materials and social media, the book explores how social activism and citizenship have emerged as a result of socio-political and technological changes within the country. Several cases of conflict-induced by development projects are drawn upon for discussion. He is also finalising another book manuscript entitled Resisting political durability in Southeast Asia which is under contract with Palgrave Macmillan. Derived from his PhD research, this work delves into how grassroots communities resist rulers whose political durability is buttressed by their rent extraction from natural resources.

Sokphea has taught various subjects covering a range of disciplines including anthropology, development studies, sociology, politics and international studies in Cambodia, and at University College London and the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London.

During his PhD, he published several articles related to the political economy of development, and international development (one of which was awarded a prize by the University of Melbourne). His work has been published in the Journal of International Relations and Development, the Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs, the Journal of Civil Society, Asian Politics & Policy, and the Asian Journal of Social Science.

Prior to his commitment to an academic career, Sokphea worked for 10 years in international development as a programme manager, researcher and consultant for international development agencies: the Department for International Development UK, the European Union, the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, local and international NGOs, governments and private consulting companies in Southeast Asia. He combines research consultancy with on-going academic work.

CLD Research Brief, 2019: Patronage and Clientelism of Chinese Investment in Cambodia

CLD Research Brief, 2021: Legal Development Along the Belt and Road: How Extra-Legal Institutions Shape Foreign Investment and Development Prospects in Cambodia