Governance Uncovered: Local Politics and Development

Governance Uncovered: Local Politics and Development

By GLDNews
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Governance Uncovered: Local Politics and Development episodes

  • Political Representation: What Does it Mean for Women?
    Guests: Lena Wängnerud and Valeriya Mechkova, both from the Department of Political Science at the University of Gothenburg. In the episode you are about to hear, host Ellen Lust talk with Lena and Valeriya about women's political representation. Both in terms of female members in political parties, parliaments and councils, and also in terms of the priority of political issues that apply more to women, such as health care and maternity leave. They do so by looking at historical and contextual factors, highlighting important variations in representation at local, regional, and national levels. Can women's representation be effective in autocracies? Is female inclusion in parliaments just a political strategy to appear modern? And what does it mean for the everyday life of citizens when their ruling parties are gender-equal? Tune in to thoughts on those questions and much more!

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    46 min
  • Himanshu Jha: Right to Information Act in India
    In this episode, we talk to Himanshu Jha - a faculty in the Department of Political Science at South Asia Institute, Heidelberg University, Germany. Himanshu's most recent research explores the processes of institutional change, the Indian State, and bureaucracy. However, it was Himanshu's recently published book with the Oxford University Press that we spoke to him about. The book is called "Capturing Institutional Change: the Case of the Right to Information Act in India." It examines what Right to Information actually does, and the history leading up to it. Himanshu further talks about norms of secrecy and openness and the impact that this Act has had on India’s democracy.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    32 min
  • Mine Eder - Bogazici University's Struggle for Independence
    Episode 33: This episode discusses Bogazici University's struggle to maintain academic independence since Turkish President Erdogan decided to directly appoint the University's Rector. Joining us to talk about the events at the Istanbul-located university is Mine Eder. Mine is a Professor in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Bogazici University and a faculty member in the collectively governed movement that is resisting the Turkish government's encroachment. The episode discusses lends insights into events at the university and broader concerns around islands of democratic governance in authoritarian contexts and the future of Turkey.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    52 min
  • Jennifer Murtazashvili: Local Politics and Taliban Takeover in Afghanistan

    Episode 32: Joining us in this episode to talk about local politics and the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan is Jennifer Brick Murtazashvili. Jen is the Founding Director of the Center for Governance and Markets and Associate Professor at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh. In 2020, Jen's book "Informal Order and the State in Afghanistan," received the Best Book Award in Social Sciences by the Central Eurasian Studies Society. Her second book, "Land, the State, and War: Property Institutions and Political Order in Afghanistan" (with Ilia Murtazashvili), was published in September 2021 with Cambridge University Press. In addition, Jennifer has also advised the United States Agency for International Development, the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit, the World Bank, the US Department of Defense, the United Nations Development Program, and UNICEF. Together with host Ellen Lust, Jen discusses how the Talibans have been received in Afghanistan after their takeover in August 2021. What has changed since the former Taliban rule? And how much do we really know?

    Additional Work:

    “Coercive Capacity, Land Reform and Political Order in Afghanistan," with Ilia Murtazashvili. Central Asian Survey 36, no. 2 (2017): 212–30.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    49 min
  • Liv Tønnessen: The Military Coup in Sudan
    In this month's Governance Uncovered, we talk to the political scientist Liv Tønnessen about the recent military coup in Sudan and the economic, cultural, and political history leading up to it. Liv is a senior researcher at CMI and Director of the Center on Law and Social Transformation. She has a track record from the Middle East and Northern Africa, with long-term stays in Sudan, Lebanon, and Syria. Liv has specialized in Sudanese politics for more than a decade and has conducted extensive fieldwork in the country. She has also been a lecturer at Ahfad University for Women and held numerous lectures for regional universities in the west, east, and south of Sudan, which has given her a wide network of contacts within Sudanese academia, politics, and civil society. In addition, her work has involved long-term collaboration with several research institutions and research partners in Sudan. In this episode, we'll discuss regional disparities and political instability in today's Sudan. Selected work: Imam, Ayesha. (2021). "Women & Peacebuilding in Africa" ( Tønnessen, Liv; Affi, Ladan; Tripp, Aili. Eds.). James Currey. Read.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    28 min
  • Melani Cammett: Dimension of Healthcare Quality in Lebanon
    Episode 30: This month, we are joined by Melani Cammett, Clarence Dillon Professor of International Affairs in the Department of Government, and chair of the Harvard Academy of International and Area Studies at Harvard. Melani also holds a secondary faculty appointment in the Harvard Chan School of Public Health. In this episode, we discuss Health Care quality in Lebanon, both within the Lebanese population and health care received by Syrian refugees. We also discuss social and political factors that regulate where citizens choose to seek care and what role international partnerships play in healthcare quality in Lebanon. Selected work: Cammett, Melani and Sasmaz, Aytug. (2021). "Equity with Prejudice: International NGOs and Healthcare Delivery Refugee Crises," The Program on Governance and Local Development Working Paper No. 44, University of Gothenburg.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    35 min
  • Taima Al Jayoush: The rights of married women in Syria
    Episode 29: This month, we were joined by Taima Al Jayoush - a lawyer specializing in human rights and international law. Taima is a member of the Barreau du Quebec, a legal councel in Syrian legislation based in Montreal. She has defended and helped dozens of women and children in Syrian and European courts and was the first woman to defend political prisoners in Syria's supreme state security court. Taima was also the first woman to be a board member of the "Human Rights Organization of Syria" in early 2001 and has represented many opposition leaders. In this episode, we discuss women's rights in Syria and the impact of the civil war, more specifically regarding the new family law and the role of Sharia in marriage contracts. Taima explains the complex issues that women face from both family and society and highlights the importance of acknowledging women's dignity and recognition as a matter of human rights.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    38 min
  • Gabrielle Kruks-Wisner: The Politics of Citizens’ Complaints in Rural India

    Episode 28: This month, we talk to Gabrielle Kruks-Wisner, Assistant Professor of Politics and Global Studies at the University of Virginia. Gabrielle’s research examines citizenship practices and local governance, with a regional focus on India. In this episode, we discuss the problems that citizens face in Northern rural India, a setting noted for variable public administration and often callous treatment of citizens by officials.

    Selected work: Kruks-Wisner, Gabrielle.(2021). "Great Expectations, Great Grievances: The Politics of Citizens’ Complaints in India." Comparative Politics.

    Kruks-Wisner, Gabrielle. (2018). "Claiming the State: Active Citizenship and Social Welfare in Rural India." Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Kruks-Wisner, Gabrielle. (2017). "The Pursuit of Social Welfare - Citizen Claim-Making in Rural India." World Politics.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    31 min
  • Adam Auerbach and Tariq Thachil: Covid-19 Challenges in India's "Slum Settlements"
    Episode 27: This month, we talk to Adam Auerbach (American University) and Tariq Thachil (University of Pennsylvania) about COVID-19 challenges in India’s so-called “slum settlements”. They argue that the landscape of service delivery is increasingly centralizing, and the lack of property rights in the slum settlements shape relations between the citizens and the state. Most residents feel that the state is dismissive in their response to COVID-19 in the urban slums of India. They further analyze and how settlement leaders cope with COVID-19 in the slums, where it is very difficult to socially distance. Selected work: Auerbach, Adam Michael and Tariq Thachil. 2020. “How Does COVID-19 Affect Urban Slums? Evidence from Settlement Leaders in India.” World Development.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    36 min
  • Isabell Schierenbeck and Jannis Grimm: Safer Field Research in the Social Sciences
    Episode 26: This month, we discuss the handbook on Safer Field Research in the Social Sciences with two of its authors Isabell Schierenbeck (University of Gothenburg) and Jannis Grimm (Freie Universität Berlin). We discuss the need for available guidance on preparing and conducting safe research within the social sciences and the new challenges to conducting safe research that Covid-19 has brought. Selected work: Grimm, Jannis; Koehler, Kevin; Lust, Ellen; Saliba, Ilyas; and Schierenbeck, Isabell. (2020). Safer Research in the Social Sciences: A Systematic Handbook for Human and Digital Security. London: SAGE Publications Inc.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    31 min

About Governance Uncovered: Local Politics and Development

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Welcome to Governance Uncovered, your ultimate resource for understanding the intricacies of governance, state and non-state actors, and local development dynamics. Whether you're a student,…