"Having lived in 18 cities across 4 continents, in two civil wars, two revolutions, and witnessed refugee conditions, I have developed a living rather than theoretical appreciation for a global sociology, as well as for the complex dynamics of conflict and social transformation. I am interested in subaltern perspectives, and am averse to prepackaged models, especially those based exclusively on U.S. or European case studies, which while important constitute a small part of our global experience. My work generally employs comparative angles, even where it involves specific case studies. I prefer a mix of disciplinary outlooks, and I always ground my teaching and research in historical and cultural processes. I am interested in social movements and revolutions, the nature of conservatism, the sociology of religion, and anarchism and social life organized outside the state. I view all orthodoxies, including well-meaning ones, as obstacles to knowledge. The most interesting sociology for me is one that is multi-dimensional, one approached as a science, but equally as an art."