Dr. Atsena Abogo
Dr. Marie-Thérèse Atséna Abogo holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology and Communication from Université Laval (2016), a Master's degree in Public Communication from the same institution (2006) and a Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Communication from the University of Ottawa (2004). She also has a Postgraduate degree in Business Administration from Laval University, with a specialization in Strategic Project Management (2022). She serves as an Associate Professor at University Canada West (UCW) in Vancouver, British Columbia, where she is a subject lead for the Sociology, Social Justice and Criminology area within the Faculty of Arts, Sciences and Technology (FAST).
Academic Background and Research
Her interdisciplinary research focuses on the intersections of globalization, youth culture, music, gender and Black identity, particularly within African and diasporic communities. She has conducted fieldwork in Cameroon, Senegal, Mali and Quebec City, exploring hip-hop culture as a form of cultural resistance and economic creativity and addressing the empowerment of Black women and young girls. Dr. Abogo demonstrates sustained editorial and curatorial expertise relevant to leading Special Collections. She is serving as Editor co-lead of the Special Issue “Beyond the Positionality Statement: Intersubjective Practice, Epistemic Authority and Co-Produced Knowledge” to be published in the EDI International Journal, Emerald Publishing (forthcoming in Fall 2027). She has served as blind peer reviewer for three journals across anthropology, musicology and African studies such as Anthropologie et sociétés (Laval University, Quebec) Cahiers de la Societe Quebecoise Recherche en Musique (Universite de Quebec a Montreal_UQAM) and Ubuntu (Universite de Chicoutimi) and as Section Editor for Women's Engagement in Academia on UCW's Backpack journal Committee.
Her professional writing includes over 50 weekly reports and revisions to UN Secretary-General quarterly reports on gender issues in Mali and Africa, as well as reports and official communications with the ECOWAS (Economic Community of West Africa States) Gender Centre, reflecting the synthesis and editorial rigor a peer-reviewed collection requires. Her conference leadership spans Stream Chair for the 19th International EDI Conference in Marrakech (2026), Panel Chair for UCW Black History conferences (2024–2025), Stream chair for International Women's Day webinars (2024–2025) and the Douglas College–UN Peace Operations conference on Black women's leadership and postcolonial knowledge (2023), as well as panel chair at the Congress of Cultural Studies and UNESCO joint conference (Paris, 2012). Her academic and corporate network expands beyond Canada and Europe, to Africa.
Professional Experience
In addition to her role at UCW, Dr. Atsena Abogo has taught at Douglas College and Kwantlen Polytechnic University in British Columbia. Beyond academia, she has worked with international organizations, including the United Nations, focusing on gender affairs and communication strategies in conflict zones. Her professional background also includes roles in corporate communications in Quebec, Cameroon and Senegal.
Publications and Public Engagement
Dr. Abogo has published various academic papers and articles on topics including Black social justice in hip-hop culture, socio-economic issues in Laos and the role of Black women in the music industry, Women in Academia, as well as Gender equality in Peacekeeping and Security in Africa.
Her publications have appeared in journals such as Agora Francophone, Année Francophone Internationale, Revue Reflets at University of Ottawa, Anthropologie and sociétés at Laval University, European Economic Letters. She is an active member of the Women, Peace and Security Network of Canada WPS-C, the British Sociology Association (BSA) and the CSA (Canadian Sociology Association).
Academic Publications
Banu Ozkazanc, Atséna Abogo Marie-Thérèse, Anukriti Dixit (2026). “Beyond the Positionality statement: intersubjective practice, epistemic authority and co-produced knowledge in EDI research” forthcoming in the EDI International Journal. Special issue. Emeral publishing. Call For papers : https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/edi
Academic Papers
Atséna Abogo, Marie-Thérèse (2026). "Rethinking Women Peace and Security (WPS) governance through African feminist epistemologies and the African Women's Agency Model (AWAM): Case study with the Women Observatory project in Mali. Humanities and Social Science: Open Journal of Social Sciences (to be published).
Atséna Abogo, Marie-Thérèse (2025). “He Yells at Me Three Times: Stay in Your Car!”: Rap Culture, Black Identity and Reception of the Message of Police Brutality in Quebec City. Sociology Study, 15(4), 155–164. https://www.davidpublisher.com/Public/uploads/Contribute/68c22add6b401.pdf
Atséna Abogo, Marie-Thérèse & Shienko, Lilya (2024). “Social and Psychological Foundations of African Women's Values in Mali: Historical and Contemporary Context.” European Economic Letters, 14(2), 2894–2902. https://www.eelet.org.uk/index.php/journal/article/view/1644
Atséna Abogo, Marie-Thérèse (2019). “Hip-Hop et pauvreté : entre résistance culturelle et créativité économique.” Reflets, 25(1), 111–132. DOI: 10.7202/1064670ar.; https://bibliographies.uqam.ca/bibliodig/bibliographie/5KIA638J
Atséna Abogo, Marie-Thérèse (2016) “Les enjeux du hip-hop à Québec.” Agora Francophone. www.agora-francophone.org/societe/article/canada-quebec-les-enjeux-du-hip-hop-a-quebec
Atséna-Abogo, Marie-Thérèse (2014). Book review of Nitasha Tamar Sharma, Hip Hop Desis: South Asian Americans, Blackness and a Global Race Consciousness. Anthropologie et Sociétés, 38(1), Presses de l'Université Laval. https://www.erudit.org/en/journals/as/2014-v38-n1-as01471/1025828ar/
Atséna-Abogo, Marie-Thérèse (2014). Book review of Élodie Perreau, Le cycle des télénovelas au Brésil. Production et participation du public. Anthropologie et Sociétés, 36(1–2), Presses de l'Université Laval. https://www.erudit.org/fr/revues/as/2012-v36-n1-2-as0210/1011733ar/
Lebel, E., Lavallée, M., Maaouia, A., Atséna-Abogo, M.-T. & Camara, P. (2006). “Systèmes représentationnels et pratiques liés à la télévision.” Journal international des représentations sociales, 3(1).
Lebel, E., Lavallée, M., Maaouia, A., Atséna-Abogo, M.-T. & Chamberlain, Julie (2005). “Programme de recherche sur les savoirs quotidiens liés à la télévision, les pratiques de réception et les pratiques éducatives.” In Questionner l’internationalisation, Société française des sciences de l'information et de la communication, pp. 529–535.
Non-academic Papers: Media Articles
2017 — Atséna Abogo, M.-T. & Sagna, Marie-Rosalie. “Laos.” L’Année francophone Internationale, vol. 25.
2016 — Atséna Abogo, M.-T. & Sagna, Marie-Rosalie. “Laos.” L’Année francophone Internationale, vol. 24.
2015 — Atséna Abogo, M.-T. “Laos.” L’Année francophone Internationale, vol. 23, pp. 96–99.
2013 — Atséna Abogo, M.-T. “Laos.” L’Année francophone Internationale, vol. 21, pp. 93–95.
2012 — Atséna Abogo, M.-T. “Laos.” L’Année francophone Internationale, vol. 20, pp. 105–107.
2011 — Atséna Abogo, M.-T. “Les Hmongs sont-ils retournés en enfer?” L’Année francophone Internationale, vol. 19, pp. 282–283.
Doctoral thesis (Interdisciplinary research in Anthropology and Communication)
Atséna Abogo, Marie-Thérèse (2016). La réception du hip-hop chez des rappeurs afroquébécois dans la ville de Québec : appropriation intersectionnelle de problématiques multidimensionnelles [thèse de doctorat], Université Laval, 310 p. https://corpus.ulaval.ca/entities/publication/2e68fbd3-7783-4156-ba32-59fc3898e481
Masters Thesis (Communication)
Atséna Abogo, Marie-Thérèse (2006). La réception par des jeunes camerounais de la musique afro-américaine. Étude de cas dans deux établissements secondaires au Cameroun [thèse de maitrise]. Québec. Presses de l’Université Laval. https://corpus.ulaval.ca/entities/publication/f747e5de-0286-4700-b152-43ee9d8223a3
Book Project
Contemporary Struggles of Black women leaders: Explorative study on challenges faced by African and Afro-Caribbean women in Canada and Africa towards access to multiple levels and dimensions of public sphere (education, professional, public and political/community engagement). Exploration of cultural norms toward female private/biological and social identities. Case studies of Senegalese, Malian, Cameroonian, South African and Haitian women in Canada and in the African continent. Forthcoming edition: 2027
Selected Conferences Presentations
2026 — August 18. Atséna Abogo, M.-T. “Rethinking WPS through African feminist perspectives” paper presented at International Conference on Peace, Security, Governance and Gender Studies (ICPSGGGS), Kigali, Rwanda
2026 — April 9. Atséna Abogo, M.-T “He Yells at Me Three Times: Stay in Your Car!” / research on rap culture, Black identity and police brutality in Quebec City. British Sociological Association 75th anniversary. Annual conference. University of Manchester, UK
2025 — February 1. Atséna Abogo, M.-T. Black Scholars and the Pursuit of Equity in British Columbia Universities, AACSS Issamba Centre BC- Black Leadership Summit in Vancouver.
2023 –— March 8. Atséna Abogo, M.-T UN Experience with Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda / SDG 5: Gender Equality. SDG Week Canada, Douglas College
2021 — March 7. Atséna Abogo, M.-T “Du mandat à la Mission: Mise en œuvre effective de l’agenda Femmes, Paix et Sécurité au Mali,” presented by Abogo, in Minusma, in connection with a high-level UN/Mali discussion. Bamako, Mali
2020 — February 25. Atséna Abogo, M.-T. Rap, global consciousness, differences and sameness in original identities: Senequeb and Desi identities in rap music. Paper presented at the Seminar on Globalization, Cultures and Identities, Department of Anthropology, Université Laval, Québec, Canada.
2020 — February 20. Atséna Abogo, M.-T. The place of Black women in the musical industry in Quebec / La place des femmes noires dans l’industrie musicale au Québec. Paper presented at the Seminar on Global Musics, Observatoire interdisciplinaire de recherche et de création en musique (OICRM), Université Laval, Québec, Canada.
2019 — March 1st . Atséna Abogo, M.-T. Rap et Hip-hop: appropriations locales et sociologiques contrastées d'une forme musicale globale. Paper presented at the Doctoral Seminar on Globalization, Department of Anthropology, Université Laval, Québec, Canada.
2016 — February 18. Atséna Abogo, M.-T. The rapper Webster, Hip-Hop activism and the message of “police violence” in Quebec City. Paper presented at Brown Bag Lectures, Centre for Policy Studies on Culture and Communities and School of Communication, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.
2012 — July 3. Atséna Abogo, M.-T. Are we all Quebecers? Limoilou Starz Black identity and hip-hop music’s reception in Quebec City. Paper presented at the 9th Crossroads in Cultural Studies Conference, Université Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris, France.
2012 — July 6. Atséna Abogo, M.-T. -Webster, hip-hop and violence in Quebec City. Paper presented at the 9th Crossroads in Cultural Studies Conference, Université Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris, France.
2011 — April 5. Atséna Abogo, M.-T- Hip-Hop au Cameroun. Paper presented at La Semaine des sciences humaines, Cégep de Sainte-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada.
2010 — October 7. Henrion-Dourcy, I., Atséna-Abogo, M.-T., & Tardif-Turcotte, E. Ce que chanter veut dire: Des anthropologues face à la musique tibétaine pop et camerounaise. Paper presented at the 40th Anniversary Congress of the Department of Anthropology, Université Laval, Québec, Canada.
2010 — June 4. Atséna Abogo, M.-T. Connexion au hip-hop. Paper presented in the panel “Identités en ligne et hors ligne” at the Congress of the Humanities / CASCA Congress, Université Concordia, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
2010 — March 4. Atséna Abogo, M.-T.. Réception du hip-hop et crise d’identité chez les jeunes. Paper presented in the panel “Jeunesse et socialisation” at the XVIIe Colloque AÉDDHUM, Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada.
2005 — May 7. Atséna Abogo, M.-T. Violence et télévision. Paper presented at the 73rd Congress of the Association francophone pour le savoir (ACFAS), Chicoutimi, Québec, Canada.
2005 — January. Atséna Abogo, M.-T.. Les émissions préférées des enfants de 7–12 ans. Paper presented at the IDEA Colloquium, Department of Communication, Université Laval, Québec, Canada.
Panels/Streams Chaired
2026 — July 3. chaired Stream 17: “Rethinking Inclusion Across Institutions and Borders: Who Benefits, Who Belongs, Who Decides?” at 19th Equality, Diversity and Inclusion International Conference, Université Cadi Ayyad, Marrakech, Morocco
2025 — February 28. UCW Black History Month Academic Panel. University of Canada West
2024 — February 23. Black History Month panel Celebrating Heritage,Building Future.University of Canada West.
2023 — March 31. Joint conference with UNDPPO chief of Gender Unit and Douglas College Department of anthropology and sociology. Experience with Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda / SDG 5: Gender Equality
2012 — July_3. Violence and in/security in the city. At Crossroads of Cultural Studies Panel Youth Today 2 Uneso Headquaters & Universite La Sorbonne Nouvelle
Public Interviews
2023 — February 10. African women leaders and civil rights/anti-apartheid movements in South Africa: The case of Miriam Makeba (Interview with Maxime Coutie). CBC Radio Canada – Radio Show Aujourd’hui l’histoire. Vancouver, Canada.
2021 — March 7. African women’s political participation in the electoral process n during the military transition in Mali) Interview by Fa Moussa Sidibé, radio-journalist in Mali. United Nations Radio for Peace. Mikado FM. Bamako, Mali.
