International development and humanitarianism
International development and humanitarianism
- December 10, 2015
- Poli sci grad student honored by International Studies Association for contributions
Tanya Schwarz, a graduate student in the Department of Political Science, has been
awarded the International Studies Association’s (ISA) prize for Best Graduate Student
Paper in Religion and International Studies. The annual award recognizes students
who have made outstanding contributions to the field of religion and international
relations and recipients may come from an array of disciplines.
Schwarz’s paper draws from her dissertation research, which examines how and why faith-based
organizations enact religious practices, principles, and identities in their humanitarian
and peacebuilding work. Her research examines three specific organizations: International
Justice Mission, the Taizé Community, and Religions for Peace. She argues that the
most effective way to study the role of religion in faith-based organizations is to
look at the terms and meanings that such organizations use to describe themselves
and their work. Her hope is that her research contributes to current literature on
faith-based organizations by offering insights into how religious phenomena shape
their peacebuilding and humanitarian projects.
In her paper, Schwarz highlights the significance of the organizational meanings of
terms like “multi-religious” and “reconciliation” to how faith-based organizations
conceptualize religious difference. She also illustrates how such meanings shape the
strategies that these organizations use to promote engagements of difference, and
argues that the religious pluralism model of interreligious engagement might be strengthened
by moving past dialogue-focused strategies to include communal practices as well.
Schwarz presented her paper at the 56th annual ISA Convention in New Orleans, LA this
past February. She will be presented with the award at the Annual Convention of the
International Studies Association in Atlanta, GA in March 2016.
Share on:
connect with us