Peter Alegi
Office: 315 Morrill Hall
Phone: (517) 432-8222 ext. 113
Email: alegi@msu.edu
I am Associate Professor of History and a Core Faculty member of the African Studies Center at MSU. My first book was Laduma! Soccer, Politics, and Society in South Africa (University of KwaZulu-Natal Press, 2004). I have two books out in 2010: African Soccerscapes: How a Continent Changed the World's Game (Ohio University Press and Hurst) and South Africa and the Global Game, co-edited with Chris Bolsmann (Routledge). My interest in the intersections between social history, gender history, labor history, and political history inform my new research on the history of community-based beauty pageants in South Africa.
I teach courses in South African and African history, and the comparative history of sport. I am a member of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of African Historical Studies and Book Reviews Editor for Soccer and Society. With Peter Limb, I co-host "Africa Past and Present," a widely accessed academic podcast about African studies (http://afripod.aodl.org/). I am currently a Fulbright Scholar at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa.
Research Keywords
- South Africa, Africa, Social, Sport, Popular Culture, Comparative History
Research Areas
- Comparative, Cultural, Social, Urban
Time Periods
- 20th Century/Contemporary
Affiliations
- African Studies Center
- MATRIX/H-Net
Recent or current courses
- HST 364 - South Africa and Its Neighbors (Spring 2010)
- HST 201 - Historical Methods and Skills (Spring 2010)
- HST 850 - Seminar in Comparative History (Fall 2009)
Significant Scholarly Activities
Books
- Peter Alegi, Laduma! Soccer, Politics and Society in South Africa. Pietermaritzburg: University of KwaZulu-Natal Press, 2004.
- Peter Alegi, African Soccerscapes: How a Continent Changed the World's Game. Ohio University Press, (April 15, 2010).
Journal Articles
- Peter Alegi. ""Rewriting Patriarchal Scripts: Women, Labor, and Popular Culture in South African Clothing Industry Beauty Contests, 1970s-2005”." Journal of Social History 41.1 (2008): 31-56.
- P. Alegi. "The Political Economy of Mega-Stadiums and the Underdevelopment of Grassroots Football in South Africa." Politikon: South African Journal of Political Studies 34.3 (2007): 315-331.
- P. Alegi. "‘A Nation To Be Reckoned With’: The Politics of World Cup Stadium Construction in Cape Town and Durban, South Africa." African Studies 67.3 (2008): 397-422.
Book Chapter/Articles
- Peter Alegi, "Sport, Race, and Liberation: A Preliminary Study of Albert Luthuli’s Sporting Life." In Sport and Liberation in South Africa: Reflections and Suggestions, edited by C. Thomas. Alice: University of Fort Hare Press, 2006: 66-82.
Website/Online Resources
- Peter Alegi, "Book Review of _Laduma!_ in _African Studies Quarterly_ (2006)": <http://www.africa.ufl.edu/asq/v8/v8i3a15.htm>.
"Alegi provides fresh insights which demonstrate just how significant soccer and leisure time are for understanding African history." - Peter Alegi, ""Sport, Race, and Liberation Before Apartheid: A Preliminary Study of Albert Luthuli, 1920s-1952"": <http://www.sahistory.org.za/pages/library-resources/articles_papers/sports-race-liberation.htm>.
"Sport, Race, and Liberation Before Apartheid: A Preliminary Study of Albert Luthuli, 1920s-1952" [full text, SA History Online] - Peter Alegi and Peter Limb, "Africa Past & Present podcast": <http://afripod.aodl.org/>2008-.
Africa Past & Present is a podcast about history, culture, and politics in Africa and the diaspora. - Various Authors, "South Africa: Overcoming Apartheid, Building Democracy": <http://overcomingapartheid.msu.edu/>2008.
Presents first-hand accounts of South Africa's successful struggle for freedom and democracy--one of the most dramatic stories of our time. - Jessica Pritchard, "AHA Today": <http://blog.historians.org/resources/899/africa-past-and-present-podcast-qa-with-dr-peter-alegi>October 21, 2009.
American Historical Association blog on Afripod! - Peter Alegi, "My Author Page on Amazon": <http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001K85JA2>.
Edited Volumes
- South Africa and the Global Game: Football, Apartheid and Beyond. London: Routledge, forthcoming 2010.
Awards, Fellowships & Grants
- MSU Internal Research Grant Program (spring 2009)
- Fulbright Scholar (2010)