Prof Robin Palmer

Robin Palmer is a Professor of Anthropology. He has a B.A. (Hons.) from Durham and an M.A. and a D.Phil. from Sussex – all in Anthropology. For his masters he conducted background and preliminary research on Italian migration with special reference to the UK. He focussed on Italians in London and at home in rural Central Italy for his D.Phil. His subsequent research projects in the former homelands of the Eastern Cape include: problems confronting the recruitment of black blood donors; the effects of the apartheid policy of homeland consolidation on the small town of Keiskammahoek; the transformation of livelihoods and gender roles in rural communities in the former Ciskei; the impact of land restitution and tourism development on two nature reserves and their neighbouring communities on the Wild Coast of the former Transkei; and the potential of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) for rural development.

His teaching is not limited to these interests, but also includes Biological Anthropology, Economic and Political Anthropology and the Anthropology of Tourism. A former head of this department, he continues to assist in administrative capacities, including curating the Anthropology Museum. Robin is married and has grown-up sons and a daughter who is a student at Rhodes.

Contact Robin at r.palmer@ru.ac.za.