Out of the Oikos, Into the World: The Historical Rise of the “Social” and Intervention in the Global South

This project is a study of the relatively recent invention of the “social realm” as a concrete historical entity, category of political and international thought, and object of military and political strategy. The work would benefit enormously from assistance with applied and theoretical aspects of the research. Students would help to investigate how specific armed interventions in the Global South work as instruments of distinctly “social” forms of governance. 

Ideal research partners will possess excellent analytical, writing, and communication skills; an ability to work efficiently and independently; a genuine interest in international politics; and experience in social science writing. They would find relevant library materials and write literature reviews, as well as case studies of several historical and contemporary interventions. The focus would be on long-term and wider impacts on target populations, including class, gender, racial, and intercommunity hierarchies.

Research partners will learn about the politics and economy of different societies, the political context of military interventions, and the wider fields of social, political, and international theory; learn new critical, historical, and theoretical perspectives; practice independent initiative, judgment, and creativity; gain insights into the academic research process; and potentially find inspiration for their own academic work.