Trends in Qualitative Research
I recently spent two weeks at the Institute for Qualitative and Multi-Method Research (IQMR) at the University of Syracuse. It is a great program for
Reading Notes: If Only Someone Had Predicted…
I was doing a little background reading this morning, and was struck by this passage: An aggressor faces two difficulties: can he conquer a country without
Cash Transfers and Poverty
Embed from Getty Images The importance of evidence versus assumptions. By far the most popular post on the blog has been Do the Poor Become
Blogging the Dissertation
On the one year anniversary of this blog, I attempt to revive it by narrowing the focus to the topics related to my dissertation.
The Ukraine Crisis and Economic Interdependence
Was Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine a failure of the thesis that economic independence creates peace. No, because Russia is not economically dependent on the Ukraine. The true test is whether Russia will directly threaten EU interests with an intervention of a NATO country.
Madeleine Albright and the Problem of Snowden
Madeleine Albright, former U.S. Secretary of State, is probably the closest I have to a personal hero. I was struck by her vehemence towards Edward Snowden. I do not see any other way the NSA privacy abuses would have come to light.
Deadlines
I just wanted to write a quick note explaining my silence over the past couple of weeks. One of the difficulties of balancing grad school
Storytelling and Politics: The Value of Empathy
In particular, stories of the “other” — the poor, racial/ethnic/religious minorities, etc. — provide evidence of a society’s true values and deepest insecurities. At the heart of the issue is the extent to which these stories describe the world as it truly is or as we hope/fear it is.
Religious Freedom For Whom?
North Carolina recently became the twenty-sixth state to pass some form of anti-Sharia legislation. Supporters have repeatedly claimed that these laws protect women from discrimination. Unfortunately, one only has to look to the actual cases when these laws have been applied to discover how they are being used against the women they claim to help.
The Least We Can Do – Syria
Sometimes the only thing we can do in the face of unbelievable horror and the seemingly unending pain that humans inflict upon each other is to give our attention. On these occasions, being a witness is both the least and the greatest thing we can do.