Charles Fonchingong Che

Charles is a Registered Social Worker and the author of Growing Old in Cameroon: Gender, Vulnerability and Social Capital, University Press of America.

Dr Charles Fonchingong Che is Senior Lecturer and Course Director of MA Social Work at Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU). He received his BA in Socio-Linguistics from the University of Yaounde, Cameroon in 1992, MA Social Work from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria in 1995, and his Ph.D. in Social Policy from the University of Kent, England, in 2008.

At CCCU, Charles convenes the Foundations of Social Work Practice and Safeguarding modules and co-convenes the Critical Perspectives in Sociology, Social Policy, and Social work module. Charles is also research supervisor for Developing a Research Proposal and MA Dissertation modules.

Previously, Charles has worked in local government, as self directed support practitioner for older adults with Essex County Council. He has been a visiting research fellow to the University of Oxford International Development Centre, as well as a collaborating researcher for the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD), Geneva, on the project 'Social and Solidarity economy'.

Charles has acted as Guest Editor for Sustainability Journal for Special Issue on Social Perspectives of Spatial Inequality and Sustainable livelihoods: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability/special_issues/social_perspectives_spatial_inequality

Charles has lectured in Gender and Community Development at the University of Buea, Cameroon. He was also a Sessional Lecturer at the University of Kent whilst completing his Doctorate in Social Policy. Charles joined Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU) as Senior Lecturer in 2011-2013 and rejoined in 2016.

Charles' areas of research include:

Older adults and service provision
Social justice, social work and sustainable development
Safeguarding adults and social work for deprived and marginal groups
International social work, poverty, livelihoods and empowerment strategies
Multi-centric policy making, social solidarity and ageing
Spatial inequality and community development
Indigenous governance, social inequality, and social justice

Charles is an external examiner for the MA and Doctorate in Public Health at the University of Chester England, External Examiner for MA and Doctorate Dissertations for the Universities of Cape Town and Fort Hare in South Africa.

Re-centring the social work curriculum: reflections on a decolonizing framework Che, C., International Federation of Social Work European Social Work Conference 2023. [Conference paper]
Reframing social justice through indigenous know-how: Implications for social development, policy and practice Che, C., (01 May 2023): SAGE Journals. [Journal article]
Forging a university-aided indigenous community education: village elders and social development in a secondary city of Cameroon Che, C., (01 Jul 2022), Universities, Society and Development: African Perspectives of University Community Engagement in Secondary Cities. Sun Press, South Africa. [Book chapter]
Social Solidarity Economy and village-centric development in North-West Cameroon Che, Charles Fonchingong, Mbah, Marcellus, (31 May 2021): SAGE. [Journal article]
Community agency, needs mapping and solidarity economics in resource depleted communities Che, C., 7th CIRIEC Conference. [Conference paper]
Curating indigenous knowledge and practices for sustainable development: possibilities for a socio-ecologically-minded university Che, C., (06 Aug 2019): MDPI. [Journal article]
University’s catalytic effect in engendering local development drives: insight into the instrumentality of community-based service learning Mbah, M., Che, C., (10 May 2019): Canadian Center of Science and Education. [Journal article]
Re-inventing community development: utilizing relational networking and cultural assets for infrastructure provision Che, C., (12 Sep 2018): MDPI. [Journal article]
Shoring up local development initiatives: elderly elite and conscientised empowerment in Cameroon Che, C., (01 Apr 2017): Liverpool University Press. [Journal article]
Legitimating social inequality: political elites, ethnic peddling and dislocated constituencies Che, C., (30 Sep 2016): European Scientific Institute. [Journal article]
Optimizing community-driven development through sage tradition in Cameroon Che, C., (12 Apr 2016): Springer. [Journal article]
Space partners or mortal enemies: contentious lands, farmer-grazier conflicts and women's militancy in Cameroon Che, C., Ufong Besing, M., (24 Nov 2015), Land Reforms and Natural Resource Conflicts in Africa: New Development Paradigms in the Era of Global Liberalization: Routledge African Studies. [Book chapter]
Firming up institutional policy for deprived elderly in Cameroon Che, C., (09 Dec 2014): Wiley. [Journal article]
Citizen strategizing amid a solidarity economy in Cameroon: are village development associations (VDAs) resilient? Che, C., (08 May 2013). GENEVA: UNRISD. [Research report]
Growing old in Cameroon: gender, vulnerability and social capital Che, C., (18 Dec 2013). United States of America: University Press of America. [Book]
Religiosity and existentialist approach to poverty in North-West Cameroon Che, C., (Apr 2013): Nova Science Publishers. [Journal article]

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Contact me

charlesfonchingong.che@canterbury.ac.uk

01227922070

Hepworth (Hs15), Canterbury

Based in

Faculty of Medicine, Health and Social Care

School of Allied and Public Health Professions

Courses taught on

Social Work