WORKSHOP:EAGER: Enriching Political Science

American Political Science Association, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

The specific goal of this project is to produce a report that will initiate a spirited and constructive discussion and exploration of the current study and practice of political science in light of changes in the demographic composition of many nations' populations, their university student bodies, and the continuing challenge of diversifying the profession. Unlike many approaches to studying the challenges of cultural diversity driven by demographic change within scholarly communities, diversity should not be limited to a simple "add-on" to traditional approaches and practices within the profession that link it to simple descriptive statistics of student enrollment, production of Ph.D.'s, and faculty recruitment. Rather, diversity should be seen as a concept sufficiently rich to open a window to a rigorous discussion of the ways that political science can consider broadening its research agendas, reconceptualizing its teaching techniques, and creating new practices of professional development in the context of the challenges posed by increased demographic and socioeconomic complexity. The primary intellectual merit of the project is promoting a deeper understanding of how integrating demographic transformations that lead to cultural diversity can enrich fundamental dimensions of the study and practice of the discipline. The broader impact of the project will be to serve as a model to other professional associations as they consider how to integrate cultural diversity within their study and practice. In this way, the broader scholarly community will be given the opportunity to assess where and how it can modify, adapt, or maintain traditional approaches and proactices to further bring cultural diversity with the mainstream of their professions. Stated most broadly, this project systematically explores the possibility that the racial and ethnic integration of academic disciplines and our societies can develop hand in hand.