Raiders Of The Lost Archive

Episode 10 - Asfandyr Mir

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.

Episode 9 - Tariq Thachil

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? 

Episode 8 - Zachariah Mamphilly

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? 

Episode 7 - Leonard Wantchekon

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

Episode 6 - Jen Murtazashvili

Jen Murtazashvili (University of Pittsburgh) speaking candidly about Afghanistan, course correction while in the field, and the importance of publicly admitting mistakes.

Episode 5 - Bob Bates

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?

Episode 4 - Jesse Driscoll (UCSD)

Meeting The Host #2: Jesse Driscoll recalls some memorable characters from his time in Tajikistan and Georgia.

Episode 3 - Christian Davenport

Meeting The Host #1: Christian Davenport (University of Michigan) shares some hard-won wisdom from his experiences in Rwanda.

Episode 2 - Lisa Wedeen

Our second podcast guest is Lisa Wedeen (University of Chicago), author of Ambiguities of Domination, Peripheral Visions, and Authoritarian Apprehensions.

Episode 1 - James Scott

We begin our podcast with none other than Prof. James Scott (Yale University).  Yes, the James Scott of Weapons of the Weak, Seeing Like a State and Two Cheers for Anarchism.