Talks and Events by Katherine Cramer
Katherine Cramer is the Natalie C. Holton Chair of Letters & Science and Virginia Sapiro Professor of Political Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is known for her innovative approach to the study of public opinion, in which she uses methods such as inviting herself into the conversations of groups of people to listen to the way they understand public affairs. Her award-winning book, The Politics of Resentment: Rural Consciousness in Wisconsin and the Rise of Scott Walker, brought to light rural resentment toward cities and its implications for contemporary politics (University of Chicago Press, 2016). She is the co-chair of the Commission on Reimagining Our Economy for the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, and is one of the founders of Fora, a human-tech platform for constructive communication operated by Cortico. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Academy of Political and Social Sciences, and the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters.
EVENT 1: Methods Workshop: Listening in Social Science Research
Designed for graduate students in social sciences but open to the public, this workshop focuses on the practice of "listening" in research, emphasizing empathetic and ethnographic approaches. Participants will learn to engage deeply with subjects, capturing individual opinions and communal values without imposing preconceived notions. The session includes tips for active listening, techniques for building trust, and methods for overcoming researcher bias. Discussions will cover ethical considerations and the role of cultural sensitivity. By fostering a deeper understanding of participants' perspectives, this workshop aims to enhance the richness and authenticity of social science research, bridging the gap between observer and observed.
This Workshop is sponsored by the University of Alberta Department of Political Science and the Common Ground Project.
The Workshop will be held:
Thursday, September 19, 2024 | 10:00 to 11:30am MT
The Digital Scholarship Centre (2-20 Cameron Library, UAlberta North Campus)
and Zoom: https://ualberta-ca.zoom.us/j/97866496493?pwd=NHU4V1c1eU01UWVCY1dQcWNDUVIwZz09
Panelists include:
- Sara Dorow, Director, IIQM (Moderator)
- Katherine Cramer, Professor of Political Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Jared Wesley, Professor of Political Science, University of Alberta
- Clark Banack, Director of the Alberta Centre for Sustainable Rural Communities
- Janet Brown, Principal, Janet Brown Opinion Research
EVENT 2: Researcher Roundtable: Populism and Elections in the United States and Canada
This session focuses on the role of populism in shaping election campaigns and outcomes in Canada and the United States. Panelists will draw insights from public opinion, public policy, and public administration research to make sense of recent and upcoming elections on both sides of the border. Panelists include:
- Katherine Cramer, Professor of Political Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Greg Anderson, Professor of Political Science, University of Alberta
- Brendan Boyd, Associate Professor of Political Science, MacEwan University
- Feodor Snagovsky, Assistant Professor or Political Science, University of Alberta
This Workshop is sponsored by the University of Alberta Department of Political Science and the Common Ground Project.
The Workshop will be held:
Thursday, September 19, 2024 | 12:00 to 1:15pm MT
The Digital Scholarship Centre (2-20 Cameron Library, UAlberta North Campus)
and Zoom: https://ualberta-ca.zoom.us/j/97866496493?pwd=NHU4V1c1eU01UWVCY1dQcWNDUVIwZz09
On September 19, Kathy will be appearing on Real Talk with Ryan Jespersen to discuss the United States Election. You can catch her interview live at 8:20am or wherever you get your podcasts. Visit ryanjespersen.com for more information.
Panelist's Bios
Greg Anderson
Clark Banack is the Director of the Alberta Centre for Sustainable Rural Communities and an Assistant Professor of Political Studies at the Augustana Campus of the University of Alberta. Clark is the author and co-editor of three academic books and has published several academic articles and chapters on rural issues, Alberta politics, religion and politics, education policy, and populism in Canada. In 2022, Clark was the recipient of the Canadian Political Science Association’s John McMenemy Prize for his essay: “Ethnography and Political Opinion: Identity, Alienation, and Anti-Establishmentarianism in Rural Alberta.” He is currently leading a SSHRC-funded project entitled: “Understanding Social and Political Attitudes in Rural Canada via Ethnography.”
Brendan Boyd is an Associate Professor of political science at MacEwan University. He studies the role of non-partisan public servants in Canadian democracy and the impact of trust on democratic governance. His recent publications include a comparison of what public servants, the public and politicians expect of public servants in a Canada and a comparison of trust levels among these groups is forthcoming.
Janet Brown
Sara Dorow is Professor of Sociology and Director of the International Institute for Qualitative Methodology at the University of Alberta. Over the last 25 years, she has deployed ethnographic, narrative, visual, and multi-media/multi-method approaches in her research, often shaped by a critical intersectional lens. Her areas of research include work and family, migration and mobility, and gender and community.
Feodor Snagovsky is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Alberta. His research examines political behaviour, identity, and how elites influence political attitudes.
Jared Wesley is Associate Dean (Graduate Studies), a professor of political science, and member of the Black Faculty Collective at the University of Alberta. He leads the Common Ground research team, which is examining the intersection of public opinion, political culture, and public policy in Western Canada. He has co-authored two leading textbooks in Canadian politics and public administration.