Dr Donna Jackson

Senior Lecturer

I took a BA in American History and Politics at the University of East Anglia (1993-1997), and achieved a Masters with Distinction the following year.

Qualifications

BA (UEA), MA (UEA), PhD (Cantab)

Overview

I successfully completed my PhD on the Carter Administration and the Horn of Africa in July 2002, supervised by Dr John Thompson, and subsequently held the position of Research Fellow (non-stipendiary) at Wolfson College, Cambridge.

I have been employed as a temporary lecturer at the University of Cambridge, the University of East Anglia, Keele University, the University of Essex, the University of Nottingham, and Queen Mary, University of London, teaching a range of modules on American history and politics at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

In September 2007, I joined the Department of History and Archaeology at Chester as a Lecturer in Modern History, with particular specialism in American History, reflecting my belief in research-led teaching.

Teaching

I contribute to the teaching of the following undergraduate modules:

A Collision of Cultures: North America 1492-2001
Constructing Histories
Europe and the Wider Word: Turning Points in History 1000-2000
Debates in History
A More Perfect Union: The Constitution and Modern America
Historical Research: Methods and Practice
Cold War America
Historical Sources: Cold War America
Dissertation supervision

In addition I contribute to the following postgraduate modules:

The Theory and History of Western Warfare
Research Skills and Methodology
The Vietnam War
Dissertation supervision

Postgraduate supervision

I invite enquiries concerning both MPhil and PhD research in the Department of History & Archaeology. I am particularly interested in students wishing to study all aspects of American-Soviet relations during the Cold War and within my other research interests listed below.

Research

My research centres on American-Soviet relations during the Cold War, and in particular the period of détente. I am also interested in the interaction between the American political system and foreign policy formulation, including the role of Congress and the impact of domestic politics and public opinion. Within these larger themes, I am especially fascinated by American foreign policy towards Africa.

I believe that this is an interesting and often overlooked region, and further research will provide a significant contribution to the understanding of American political and diplomatic history. For example, my work on the Horn of Africa illustrated the difficulties and dilemmas faced by Jimmy Carter as he attempted to formulate foreign policy within the constraints of the Vietnam syndrome.

The region's proximity to the Middle East added to its geopolitical importance; human rights abuses were evident but Cold War concerns remained important, and both themes were complicated by violations of international law, and questions of post-colonialism and self-determination. Future research will examine the impact of the Vietnam Syndrome on the American reaction to revolutions in Ethiopia and Angola.