Lofchie, Michael F.

Professor Michael Lofchie (b. 1936) went to Zanzibar as a graduate student in 1962-63 to study political parties and their conflicts for his dissertation. Immediately after earning his doctorate from UC Berkeley, he returned to Zanzibar as a researcher during the summer of 1964 to do follow-up studies for his book, Zanzibar : background to revolution (Princeton University Press) that was published in 1965. The book provides an invaluable foundation for other scholars to assess dynamics of Zanzibar's pre-independence political environment and its implications for post-independence situation. The materials he collected for writing his book constitute this collection. Lofchie received his BA from Harvard University (1958), his MA (1960) and PhD (1964) from UC Berkeley. He has been a professor in the Department of Political Science at UCLA since 1964. He is former Chair of the Department of Political Science at UCLA and a specialist in comparative politics and African studies. He served as the director of UCLA's James S. Coleman African Studies Center from 1978 to 1989. Professor Lofchie teaches undergraduate and graduate introductions to comparative government, and offers graduate seminars on the political economy of Africa and structural adjustment. His research focuses on the politics of economic reform in Africa. His book The policy factor : agricultural performance in Kenya and Tanzania (Lynne Rienner, 1989) explores agricultural policy and urban bias in Kenya and Tanzania. Professor Lofchie's work has become an influential source for scholars and policy makers seeking to understand the dynamics of famine in Africa. He has worked as a consultant to U.S.A.I.D. and World Bank projects.

Biography

Professor Michael Lofchie (b. 1936) went to Zanzibar in 1962-63, first as a graduate student, to study political parties and their conflicts for his dissertation. Immediately after earning his doctorate from UC Berkeley, he returned to Zanzibar as a researcher during the summer of 1964 to do follow-up studies for his book, Zanzibar: Background to Revolution (Princeton University Press) that was published in 1965. The book provides an invaluable foundation for other scholars to assess dynamics of Zanzibar's pre-independence political environment and its implications for post-independence situation. The materials he collected for writing this book constitute the present Michael Lofchie collection of Zanzibar Publications, which he donated to the Department of Special Collection in the late 1960s.

Lofchie received his BA from Harvard University (1958), his MA (1960) and PhD (1964) from UC Berkeley. He has been a professor in the Department of Political Science at UCLA since 1964. He is Former Chair of the Department of Political Science at UCLA and a specialist in comparative politics and African studies. He served as the director of UCLA's James S. Coleman African Studies Center from 1978 to 1989. Professor Lofchie teaches undergraduate and graduate introductions to comparative government, and offers graduate seminars on the political economy of Africa and structural adjustment. His research focuses on the politics of economic reform in Africa. His book, The Policy Factor: Agricultural Performance in Kenya and Tanzania (Lynne Rienner, 1989) explores agricultural policy and urban bias in Kenya and Tanzania. Professor Lofchie's work has become an influential source for scholars and policy makers seeking to understand the dynamics of famine in Africa. He has worked as a consultant to U.S.A.I.D. and World Bank projects.