Episodes

Wednesday Sep 29, 2021
Episode 10 - Asfandyr Mir
Wednesday Sep 29, 2021
Wednesday Sep 29, 2021
Asfandyr Mir (Stanford - CISAC) shares his reflections on the challenges of presenting himself as a neutral scientist observer when researching the U.S. drone war in Pakistan. The second in a "when the field is home" series.

Thursday Sep 23, 2021
Episode 9 - Tariq Thachil
Thursday Sep 23, 2021
Thursday Sep 23, 2021
Tariq Thachil (UPenn) is the first in a "when the field is home" series. What are the advantages and disadvantages of being able to present as a local? Is being ambushed on social media part of what we should be preparing students for? Does it "count" as ethnographic observation if you are also looking for measurable indicators for quantitative tests as you go? How should we teach THEFT OF AN IDOL?

Wednesday Sep 15, 2021
Episode 8 - Zachariah Mamphilly
Wednesday Sep 15, 2021
Wednesday Sep 15, 2021
Zachariah Mamphilly (CUNY) answers the big questions about agency and responsibility. What does it mean to be an oppositional intellectual in the field of political violence? Should we expect any accountability for the role that our field has played in legitimizing the war on terror as we chase grants and policy relevance? As we professionalize our students, who are we teaching them to write for?

Monday Aug 30, 2021
Episode 7 - Leonard Wantchekon
Monday Aug 30, 2021
Monday Aug 30, 2021
Leonard Wantchekon (Princeton University), activist and scholar, reflects on his journey. Saddle wisdom, "The Tao of Leonard", and practical advice for early-career scholars.

Tuesday Jun 22, 2021
Episode 6 - Jen Murtazashvili
Tuesday Jun 22, 2021
Tuesday Jun 22, 2021
Jen Murtazashvili (University of Pittsburgh) speaking candidly about Afghanistan, course correction while in the field, and the importance of publicly admitting mistakes.

Thursday Jun 10, 2021
Episode 5 - Bob Bates
Thursday Jun 10, 2021
Thursday Jun 10, 2021
The legendary Bob Bates describes his fieldwork experiences Zambian mining townships -- getting in, building trust, staying safe, and writing up. Can qualitative methods be taught?

Friday May 21, 2021
Episode 4 - Jesse Driscoll (UCSD)
Friday May 21, 2021
Friday May 21, 2021
Meeting The Host #2: Jesse Driscoll recalls some memorable characters from his time in Tajikistan and Georgia.

Tuesday May 18, 2021
Episode 3 - Christian Davenport
Tuesday May 18, 2021
Tuesday May 18, 2021
Meeting The Host #1: Christian Davenport (University of Michigan) shares some hard-won wisdom from his experiences in Rwanda.

Saturday May 15, 2021
Episode 2 - Lisa Wedeen
Saturday May 15, 2021
Saturday May 15, 2021
Our second podcast guest is Lisa Wedeen (University of Chicago), author of Ambiguities of Domination, Peripheral Visions, and Authoritarian Apprehensions.

Friday Mar 19, 2021
Episode 1 - James Scott
Friday Mar 19, 2021
Friday Mar 19, 2021