Organizer: The Marginal Theory Society

*Anyone is welcome to attend any of the presentations.*

Marginal Theory Workshop: "Non-Traditional Approaches to International
Relations"

Schedule of events:

Saturday, February 9th

9:45-10:00 - Introduction

10:00-10:30 - First Speaker - Dr. Daniel Lieberfeld - (Duquesne - Social
and Public Policy) - "Leadership and Post-conflict Reconciliation"

10:30-11:00 - Q and A

11:00-11:15 - mini-break

11:15-11:45 - Second Speaker - Dr. Robert Cavalier (CMU - Philosophy) -
"Toward a More Deliberative Democracy - Here and Abroad"

Abstract:

Story-telling is ubiquitous, ranging from fiction to gossip, but what exactly is the core structure of narrative? This talk will propose that narrative thinking takes place when we consider alternative versions of an event – and make excuses. Based on this suggestion, the talk provides an overview of this theory of narrative and ends with a speculation about the connection of narrative and moral reasoning.

*Part of the visit of short-term fellow Dror Wahrman

With responses by Molly Warsh (History) and Adam Shear (Religious Studies).

Master's Thesis Defense:

Talk on new media in 17th century England.

Paper abstract

This paper provides novel evidence on the causal effect of parents’ involvement at school on
pupils’ cognitive and non-cognitive skills. Furthermore, it shows how the impact of more
involved parents on their children is amplified at the class level by peer group interaction. We
build on a large scale controlled experiment run in a French deprived educational district,
where parents of middle-school children were invited to participate in a low-cost program of
parent-school meetings on how to get better involved in their children’s education. At the end

This presentation explores how beginning learners of Spanish perform opening and closing sequences during two videoconferencing exchanges. Data were analyzed using Conversation Analysis and several patterns of interaction were identified. Discussion will focus on description of these interactional patterns and on pedagogical implications.

Marta Tecedor Cabrero, candidate for the Spanish Lecturer/Coordinator position will be on campus January 23rd and 24th.

Mark Lynn Anderson is an associate professor of Film Studies in the Department of English at the University of Pittsburgh. He is interested in the relations between media institutions and radical democracy, and has published essays on star scandals, media censorship, and early film education. His forthcoming book, Twilight of the Idols, examines the relations between early Hollywood stardom and the human sciences.

Professor Hancock’s research interests have been primarily focused on the intersections made between theology, politics, and rhetoric. In this Brown Bag Lunch Colloquium Series, she examines how the dominant political rhetoric at the end of the Weimar years infiltrates the language of the church, questioning what factors influenced the mix of gospel and Germanness.

An author of several books posing an anthropological perspective on government, political labor, and power, Professor Schumann will offer an argument for the Welsh, UK, and EU development hierarchies, and how the organizational cultures of Welsh rural authorities shape local interpretations and administrations of UK/EU development policies. The discussion will be framed in terms of analyzing civil-state relations in a changing Wales, UK, and Europe. Following the talk Dr. Schumann will welcome questions from the audience.