Raiders Of The Lost Archive

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? 

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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.