Associate Professor of Political Science Peter Krause (Gary Wayne Gilbert)
鈥�Books are frequently adapted into film, but Associate Professor of Political Science Peter Krause鈥檚 2020 co-edited volume, Stories from the Field: A Guide to Navigating Fieldwork in Political Science, has been converted into a different medium: a companion podcast.
Krause, along with the book鈥檚 co-editor Ora Szekely, an associate professor of political science at Clark University, co-host their book-based, , and concludes this month.聽 The production has drawn more than 1,000 listeners to date.
鈥淚 worked on the podcast production with my research team of students, who helped plan, produce, and edit the episodes,鈥� said Krause, whose book was described by reviewers as a 鈥渞elatable, thoughtful, and unorthodox guide to field research in political science鈥� featuring personal stories鈥斺�渟ome funny, some dramatic, all fascinating and informative鈥濃�攆rom 44 working political scientists. 鈥淔ield research, regardless of where and how it is conducted, poses numerous ethical and logistical challenges, which the podcasts are designed to help the listener navigate,鈥� he said.
The duo started by releasing a 30-minute introductory installment in late January on the origins of their fieldwork book, and previewed the upcoming podcasts, which are composed of a 10-to 15-minute interview with each of the guests, followed by a 20-to-30-minute roundtable discussion. New episodes are published every Tuesday and the podcast is available via iTunes and Spotify.
鈥淲e talk to political scientists about what actual field research looks like on the ground,鈥� said Krause, a research affiliate with the MIT Security Studies Program who has conducted extensive fieldwork throughout the Middle East. 鈥淚n each episode, we bring together a diverse collection of experts to discuss different ethical and logistical aspects of the field research process. We have scholars discussing their field experiments, surveys, archival research, policy work, and ethnology of all kinds, across a broad geography, including studies conducted in Africa, South Asia, South America, China, the Middle East, and in the United States.鈥�
Krause, Szekely, and their guests also discuss some of the resourcefulness tests that political scientists face, such as how to develop local knowledge, conduct research in authoritarian states, and how to grapple with the ethical dilemmas posed by funding sources.聽 In short, Krause calls it a 鈥渓ook behind the curtain.鈥�
The first episode, 鈥淒eveloping Local Knowledge,鈥� features political scientists Christina Greer of Fordham University, Northwestern University鈥檚 Wendy Pearlman, and Paul Staniland of the University of Chicago.聽 The second episode dives into ethics with Erica Chenoweth, professor of public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, and Zachariah Cherian Mampilly, the director of Africana Studies and associate professor of political science and international studies at Vassar College.
Other episodes include 鈥淧ositionality, Emotions and Research in the Middle East,鈥� 鈥淐reatively Collecting Information鈥� (with Krause鈥檚 fellow BC political scientist Associate Professor Lindsey A. O鈥橰ourke), 鈥淐onducting Research Amidst Conflict,鈥� 鈥淗ealth and Safety When Doing Field Research,鈥� and 鈥淩esearch in China,鈥� which showcased another BC political scientist, Professor Robert S. Ross. 聽
鈥淭his episode captures well the difficulties of conducting interviews with friends and colleagues in China,鈥� said Ross. 鈥淪cholars must balance their research interests with the overriding value of respecting the interests of friends and colleagues working in a system that can impose significant constraints on scholars who exercise academic freedom.鈥�
聽鈥淭he final three episodes focus on teaching and learning fieldwork methods,鈥� said Krause, whose teaching interests include Middle East politics, terrorism and political violence, and international relations. 鈥淲e interview professors who have taught with our book about how they teach fieldwork, and how the book has been used, whether successfully or unsuccessfully. The closing episode examines various types of field research and COVID-19, and the challenges, both logistical and ethical, of conducting fieldwork during and after the pandemic.鈥�
The second-to-last episode features discussions with graduate and undergraduate students who have learned from Stories from the Field, including seniors Leah Hickert, Jack MacDonald, and Sofia Renata Martinez, all of whom were students in Krause鈥檚 Research Methods in Political Science class last fall. They and other guests explain how students can best to use the book to start their own fieldwork.
Interviewed recently, the three BC undergrads reflected on their before-and-after views of the research methods class.
聽鈥淚 was intimidated, but I took the class because, honestly, I was uninformed,鈥� said MacDonald. 聽鈥淚t forced me to grow very quickly.鈥�
聽鈥淢ost people perceive it as dry,鈥� said Hickert, 鈥渂ut it was way more useful than I definitely ever anticipated.鈥�
Martinez admitted that she was 鈥渞eally terrified but I knew that I needed it before graduating. There was no way that I would leave BC without putting myself in a situation where I鈥檇 learn how to properly draft a research paper. I was scared but the growth you see is impressive.鈥�
Krause noted that despite their mutual trepidation, the three students鈥� respective 30-page final papers were considered graduate-level work, and addressed fascinating questions such as the variation in the repression of nonviolent protests by China and other one-party states; the efficacy of gender quotas in promoting lasting female empowerment; and the impact of shifting U.S. gun laws on violence in Mexican border cities.
Undergraduate Research Fellows Harper Barbaree 鈥�21 and John Gehman 鈥�21 serve as the podcast鈥檚 main producers, supported by a number of other undergraduates from Krause鈥檚 research team.
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Phil Gloudemans | University Communications | April 2021