Introduction

      I am a Doctoral Candidate currently writing my research proposal. I have so many questions that are not part of my research that I needed a space to explore these topics outside of my research for the dissertation. I am creating this space thinking I will likely have few to no readers, which is truly ok. However, if you share an interest and want to have an academic debate, please comment. 

    I tend to view the world through a constructivist lens because I believe that we interpret what is happening around us based on our hopes and fears. These then have the potential to shape our future. If we change Keohane's saying from "Anarchy is what we make of it" to life is what we make of it, this is a broader method to explain some irrational behaviors within the international sphere. I like numbers, but I want explanations of those numbers and how the data was collected. I like to trust, but I will always verify. 

    I am not a political scientist and therefore I will not be discussing politics in those terms. Instead, politics will be reviewed in terms of the impacts of decisions on international relations. My particular interest generally revolves around sustainability. Whether I am considering the long-term viability of a consumer economy or the cons associated with a zero-waste society, I am always looking for ways that I can make less of a physical footprint within society.