Knowledge
This track of research seeks to elucidate, ‘what do we actually know about a given phenomenon? In virtue of what?’ Simultaneously, it explores how knowledge about a given topic is constructed, evaluated, and put to use (or not).
Journal Publications
- al-Gharbi, Musa (2021). “People of the Book: Empire and Social Science in the Islamic Commonwealth Period.” Socius 7. DOI: 10.1177/23780231211021200
- al-Gharbi, Musa (2018). “Race and the Race for the White House: On Social Research in the Age of Trump.” The American Sociologist 49(4): 496-519.
- al-Gharbi Musa (2013). “Syria, Contextualized: The Numbers Game.” Middle East Policy 20(1): 56-67.
Scholarly Work in Development
- I am developing an essay that articulates and calls for the adoption of a ‘critical realist’ posture towards surveys, polling and other attitudinal data – detailing the need for this approach, what it might look like in practice, and how it varies from predominant approaches. I should have an initial paper out for review in early 2022 – which, upon publication, may end up being expanded into my second book.
Public Sociology Examples
- “Democrats No Longer Have a Coalition.” The Nation, 23 November 2020.
- “Brutal Force.” The Baffler, 18 June 2020.
- “The Ill-Considered Debate About Drones.” Al-Jazeera America, 3 December 2013.
