Projects

Politics of Ethnicity in Burma - ANTH 29715 Course Design

This course taught during spring of 2005 focused on the political and historical dimensions of ethnic nationalisms in Burma-Myanmar, a country with United Nations “Least Developed Nation Status” that has experienced over 40 years of civil war. Topics covered included military policy and military-societal relations, the politics of ethnic insurgency, the intersection of gender and ethnic nationalism, as well as the issues of legitimacy, unity, federalism and governance that arise when examining the possibilities for democratic reform within Burma.

    Download the syllabus or course description.

    Course Readings and Maps forthcomming..

Gender Goverance and Subjectivity- pending further research

The subject of this research is to examine the role of women in the Palestinian society, as well as at the grass roots level of municipal government, during the years proceeding and following the Al-Aqsa Intifada. The purpose of this research will be to investigate shifts in the roles of women throughout the recent period of the Palestinian 'national (watani) struggle' and to examine to what extent the possible roles for women has changed from those found following the First Intifada– both socially and politically. In particular, I am interested in examining what shifts may have occurred in how women who live in the Occupied Territories may perceive themselves as possible actors in the Second Intifada and the roles that they have conceived as being viable to assume. Preliminary evidence appears to indicate that in the years preceding the Second Intifada, the considerable contributions of women at the local level were not significantly mirrored within the structure of the Palestinian National Authority. A further aspect of my project is expected to include a circumscribed investigation of Islamic feminism, taking the works of Qasim Amin as a point of departure, in order to examine the influences of modern Palestinian feminism, as well as to provide a better context for the understanding present attempts and methods of Palestinian women to secure greater political opportunity and participation.