The Duck of Minerva

Steve Saideman

Steve Saideman is Professor and the Paterson Chair in International Affairs at Carleton University’s Norman Paterson School of International Affairs. He has written The Ties That Divide: Ethnic Politics, Foreign Policy and International Conflict; For Kin or Country: Xenophobia, Nationalism and War (with R. William Ayres); and NATO in Afghanistan: Fighting Together, Fighting Alone (with David Auerswald), and elsewhere on nationalism, ethnic conflict, civil war, and civil-military relations.

Recent Posts

Learning the Wrong Lessons? Who Should Blog?

by Steve Saideman | 21 August, 2013 |

In the past week, there has been a heap of controversy here over a post that many folks found to be offensive.  In reaction, the blogger is ceasing to blog, Charli  discuss the challenges of blogging, and others still are drawing lessons, such as Christopher Zorn who posted on his FB page "the vast majority of academic political scientists are just not cut out to be bloggers, and probably shouldn't do so." My reaction to this is: blogger is a label that describes a whole lot of activity, so saying people should not blog might mean that they should not write on the internet.  Or it might mean...

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Recent Reading List

by Steve Saideman | 16 August, 2013 |

I have been thinking of listing a bunch of my favorite 2000s+ Political Science books, and a variety of circumstances has inspired me to finally write the list .  These books make my list because they made me see the world differently.  Most persuaded me of their core arguments, but all made me think and even ask questions I had never asked before.  My reading is fairly random as my interests are fairly wide (I read and research in IR and comparative, in ethnic conflict and civil-military relations--but note I do not read IPE or Environmental stuff, for example).  I read some of these books...

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Networking is Hard-Working

by Steve Saideman | 15 August, 2013 |

The question of networking tends to arise as conferences approach.  With APSA less than two weeks away (which means discussants are going to be getting papers any day now--ok, in about a week if they are lucky), I thought I would post some thoughts about networking.  There was a post earlier today that did address such stuff, but, well, stuff happened.  A key point was lost in the course of events--that networking sideways and down is far easier and perhaps far more fruitful than trying to connect with the big names in the discipline. For many networking is pretty uncomfortable stuff, as...

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Ultimate APSA 2013

by Steve Saideman | 4 August, 2013 |

APSA-goers: the ultimate frisbee game will be Saturday, August 31st, at 10am at 11th and Michigan (this is an update).  I don't know exactly on what softball field we will set up--depends on what else is going on that morning, but we should be able to find some space.  Email me at steve_saideman@carleton.ca for details on that day or just look for the shaggy, slower ultimate game (if there are any others out there at the same time). No cleats, just bring two shirts--one dark and one light--and I will bring the cones and disks.  Oh, and you can bring the ice, Vitamin I(bruprofen) and the...

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Friday Nerd Blogging: The Chosen One

by Steve Saideman | 2 August, 2013 |

If there is one bit of recent pop culture that will have enduring value as a common reference in the classroom, it is almost certainly Harry Potter.*  Since his fictional 33rd birthday was this week, here's this week's FNB:       * Not to mention that our Father Duck co-edited a volume on HP and IR.

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Guantanamo in the Rearview Mirror

by Steve Saideman | 30 July, 2013 |

Here at the Duck and elsewhere, there has been much discussion of the gaps between academia and the policy world.  I took part in a program that seeks to bridge that gap--the Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs Fellowship--which I have mentioned here before.   One thing I did not discuss here before is that such experiences can put one in morally challenging situations.   Whenever Guantanamo comes up in the news, I am reminded of this.  Why, see my tale belowe: I was on the US Joint Staff in 2001-2002 when the US picked up six Algerians in Bosnia and sent them to Guantanamo....

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Thinking About the Seven Year Post-Doc

by Steve Saideman | 22 July, 2013 |

This piece is really interesting.  It is written by Radhika Nagpal who was on the tenure track at Harvard but treated the experience like a seven year post-doc.  That is, she didn't focus on what it took to get tenure there, because, well, most folks don't get tenure.  Instead, Nagpal focused on pursuing the most fulfilling seven years so that she would be in a good position at the end of the "post-doc."  This led her to some conclusions, which I consider below. But before I do so, it is important to note that this advice of hers applies everywhere but to greater or lesser degrees.  There...

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Storm-Delayed Friday Nerd Blogging

by Steve Saideman | 20 July, 2013 |

Friday nerd blogging was delayed due to a powerful thunderstorm that disrupted power in the SW part of Ottawa.  Anyhow, most of us nerdish folks would prefer to be at Comic-Con this week. Alas, most of us have day jobs. So, here is a video presented at Comic-Con that marks the death toll of the past three seasons:

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