Current as of 1/20/2019
Bethany Amal Barratt
Director, Joseph Loundy Human Rights Project
Associate Professor of Political Science
Roosevelt University
430 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60605 312.341.3768
faculty.roosevelt.edu/barratt
Education:Duke University University of California, Davis
BA, Political Science, May 1994MA, Political Science, December 1999
BA, History, May 1994 PhD, Political Science, August 2002
Fields:
Major: International Relations. Minor: Methodology, American Politics, Designated Emphasis In Social Theory and Comparative History.
Short Biography:
Bethany Barratt is Director of the Joseph Loundy Human Rights Project and Associate Professor of Political Science at Roosevelt University, Chicago, IL. Her previous appointments include the University of California, Davis (where she won the graduate teaching award in 2000) and San Quentin State Prison. At the University of California she earned her PhD in Political Science with concentrations in International Relations, Quantitative Methods (supplemented by training at the Interuniversity Consortium on Political and Social Research, University of Michigan) and American Politics, and, at the same time, a PhD certificate in Social Theory and Comparative History while serving on the editorial board of the critical social theory journal.Theory and Society. Her books cover topics as diverse as human rights under the war on terror (International Human Rights Since 9/11: A Sourcebook, Forthcoming), political themes in popular literature (The Politics of Harry Potter, 2012), public opinion and foreign policy (Public Opinion and International Intervention, 2012), and the role of human rights in foreign aid decisions (Human Rights and Foreign Aid: for Love or Money?, 2007). Her articles and essays have appeared in many leading outlets including Political Research Quarterly, The Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Perspectives on Politics, Public Opinion Pros, and several edited volumes and encyclopedias.
Professor Barratt is the founding director of the Joseph Loundy Human Rights Project at Roosevelt ( and ), a program unique in the nation in providing intensive, crossnational human rights research experiences for undergraduates. Each year, Loundy Scholars are provided with unprecedented access to leaders on a specific human rights issue, from legal, academic, and activist perspectives, through a set of workshops in Chicago that are then mirrored in a research trip abroad. Students publish results of their comparative research in an annual report, the Loundy Human Rights Report. They also have the opportunity to continue their work through internships with organisations keyed to the year’s focus issue. Appropriate to the Project’s focus on miscarriages of justice, Professor Barratt is also an instructor with the Chicago Innocence Project, a student-based nonprofit which investigates alleged cases of wrongful conviction.
She has conducted extensive research in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and Kyrgyzstan, and has published on international protection of human rights, foreign development assistance, sustainable development, political tolerance, counterterrorism, public opinion in international relations, and the political messages inherent in popular culture.
Publications:
Books
Barratt, Bethany A. (ed). Forthcoming. The Impact of 9/11 on International Human Rights: A Sourcebook. New York: Open Society Foundation.
Barratt, Bethany A. 2011. The Politics of Harry Potter. New York: Palgrave McMillan.
Sobel, Richard, Peter Furia, and Bethany Barratt, eds. 2011.Public Opinion and International Intervention: Lessons from the Iraq War. Washington, DC: Potomac Books.
Barratt, Bethany A. 2007. Human Rights and Foreign Aid: For Love or Money? London and
New York: Routledge.
Articles and Book Reviews
Barratt, Bethany A. Under Contract. Review of International Human Rights: Continuity and Change Since 9/11, ed Michael Goodhart and Anja Mihr, in Perspectives on Politics.
Barratt, Bethany A. 2007. “King Baudouin.” In The Encyclopedia of the Cold War: APolitical, Social, and Military History, ed. Spencer Tucker and Andrew McCormick. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO.
Barratt, Bethany A. and Christian W. Erickson. 2007. “Response and Revenge: Terror,Counterterror, and Intolerance.” Public Opinion Pros.March 2007.
Barratt, Bethany A. 2006. “Rhetoric and Reputation: Human Rights in Canadian Foreign Policy and Practice.” In Handbook of Canadian Foreign Policy, ed. Patrick James, Nelson Michaud, and Marc O’Reilly. Lanham, MD: Lexington Press.
Barratt, Bethany A. 2006. “Cecily Hamilton.” In Women and War: A HistoricalEncyclopedia from Antiquity to the Present . ed. Bernard Cook. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO.
Barratt, Bethany A. 2005.“Global Climate Change.” In Globalization: Encyclopediaof Trade , Labor and Politics, ed. Ashish Vaidya. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO.
Barratt, Bethany A. 2004. “Aiding or Abetting? Human Rights and British Foreign Aid Decisions.” In Understanding Human Rights Violations: New Systematic Studies, ed. Sabine Carey and Steven Poe. London: Ashgate.
Erickson, Christian, and Bethany A. Barratt. 2004. “Prudence or Panic? Preparedness Exercises, Counterterror Mobilization, and Media Coverage Dark Winter, TOPOFF 1 and 2.” Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, 1:4.
Gartner, Scott Sigmund, Gary M. Segura, and Bethany A. Barratt. 2004. “War Casualties,Policy Positions, and the Fate of Legislators. Political Research Quarterly 53:3.
Recent Honors:
Fall 2009. Roosevelt University research leave. (Awarded for 2010-11, deferred to spring 2012 in order to build Joseph Loundy Human Rights Project.)
Summer 2008. International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX) Short-Term Grant, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
Summer 2008. Roosevelt University Summer Research Grant.
Spring 2007. Journeys in World Politics. Funded Invitee.
Fall 2005. Roosevelt University Research Leave.
Spring 2004. Roosevelt University Teaching Quality Enhancement Fellowship.
Spring 2004. Roosevelt University Rewards Now Teaching Commendation.
Summer 2003. Roosevelt University Mansfield Institute for Social Justice Summer ResearchGrant.
Summer 2003. Roosevelt University. Summer Research Grant.
Recent Invited Lectures and Talks:
Spring 2013 (scheduled). Loyola University Department of Political Science Approaches to Understanding Social Justice Series invited speaker. “Human Rights’ –Redefinition Since 9/11.”
Fall 2012. Roosevelt University “Dinner with Professor X” series kickoff speaker. “The Politics of Harry Potter.”
Fall 2012. Roosevelt University Parents’ Day. “The Politics of Harry Potter.”
Spring 2010. Midwest Political Science Association Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL. Guest panelist on “Service and Career Choices in Political Science.”
Fall 2008. Invited lecture, University of Illinois at Chicago, Betty O’Shaugnessy’s Teaching in Political Science course. “Experiences at a Teaching Oriented Liberal Arts University.”
Spring 2007. Invited lecture, Northwestern University, Professor Richard Sobel’s American Politics course. “Civil Rights in United States Politics.”
Fall 2007. Interview, Columbia College Radio. “Gender in the 2008 Presidential Election.”
Fall 2006. “Human Rights After 9/11.” Invited talk, Lunch With the Professor Series, Roosevelt University.
Spring 2003. Dignity Without Borders conference at Columbia College. Keynote panelist on “Rape, Mutilation, and Violence Against Women: What Everyone Should Know.”
Recent Conference/ Workshop Presentations
March/April 2012. Annual Meeting of the International Studies Association. San Diego, CA. “Death Eaters and Dark Wizards: Terror and Counterterror in Harry Potter.”
March/April 2012. Annual Meeting of the International Studies Association. San Diego, CA. “The Great Game Redux: Fighting to be First in Central Asia.”
Aug/Sept 2011. Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, Seattle, WA. “ABC Democrats in Central Asia: Democratisation and Development.”
March 2011. Annual Meeting of the International Studies Association. Montreal, Quebec, Canada. “Development Cooperation and Competition in Central Asia.”
August/ Sept 2010. Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, Washington, DC.“Switzerland of the East or Next Flashpoint? Kyrgyzstan in US and Russian Foreign Policy.”
March 2010. Annual Meeting of the International Studies Association. New Orleans. “Democratisation and its Discontents In Central Asia.”
August-September 2009. Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, Toronto, Ontario. “Developing What? Aims and Effects of Foreign Development Assistance.”
March 2009. Roosevelt University Faculty Research Series. “US/Russian Competition and Development in Central Asia.”
February 2009. Annual Meeting of the International Studies Association, New York, NY. “Aid and Its Discontents: Goals and Impacts of Foreign Aid in Central Asia.”
August-September 2008. Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, Boston, MA.“Human Rights, Democracy, and Foreign Development Assistance in Central Asia.”
March 2008. Annual Meeting of the International Studies Association, SanFrancisco, CA. “International Public Opinion and the Iraq War.”
August-September 2007. 2006. Annual Meeting of the American Political ScienceAssociation, Chicago, IL. Organizer, Public Opinion and Foreign Policy Working Group.
July 2007. Annual Meeting of the Transatlantic Studies Association, Cork, Ireland. “Competing Perspectives in Aid Policy.”
March 2007. Annual Meeting of the International Studies Association, Chicago, IL. “Public Opinion in Britain and the War in Iraq.”
March 2007. Annual Meeting of the International Studies Association, Chicago, IL. “Human Rights in Canadian Foreign Policy.”
February 2007. Roosevelt University Faculty Research Series. “Openness and Secrecy in Three Foreign Aid Agencies.”
September, 2006. Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, Philadelphia, PA ‘Response and Revenge: Terror, Counter Terror, and Intolerance.”
August-September, 2006. Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association,
Philadelphia, PA. Presenter, short course on Teaching Human Rights.
August-September, 2006. Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association,
Philadelphia, PA. Organizer, Public Opinion and Foreign Policy Working Group.
April, 2006. Roosevelt University Faculty Research Series. “Emerging Patterns in Foreign Development Assistance.”
March, 2006. Annual Meeting of the International Studies Association, San Diego, CA.
“When to Take the Rights Approach: The Conditional Effect of Rights on Provision of Overseas Development Assistance.”
March, 2006. Annual Meeting of the International Studies Association, San Diego, CA.
“Rehearsing Armageddon: Multilateral CBNRE Preparedness Exercises andPublic Perceptions.”
September, 2005. Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association,Washington, DC. “Prudence or Panic: Biowar Preparedness Exercises, Counterterror Mobilization, and Public Opinion - Darkwinter, TOPOFF, and Atlantic Blue.”
May, 2005. Suspect Populations: The Real War on Terror in Europe, London Metropolitan
University, London,UK. “Biowar Preparedness Exercises in the US and UK”
April, 2005. Roosevelt University Faculty Research Series.“Biowar Preparedness Exercises, Counterterror Mobilization, and Public Opinion - Darkwinter, TOPOFF 1 and 2.”
April, 2005. Annual Meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago, IL.
“Preconceived Notions?: Terror, the Press, and Intolerance.”
March, 2005. Annual Meeting of the International Studies Association, Honolulu, HI. “The
Role of Human Rights in OECD Aid Decisions.”
March, 2005. Annual Meeting of the International Studies Association, Honolulu, HI. “US
Policy Leadership and Middle Power Foreign Aid Decisions.”
March, 2005. Annual Meeting of the International Studies Association, Honolulu, HI. “Terror’s Externalities: International Events, Media, and Domestic Intolerance.”
Courses Taught:
Currently in regular rotation:
Introduction to International Relations
Problems in United States Foreign Policy
Advanced Seminar in International Relations
Sexuality, Gender, and International Human Rights
Comparative Approaches to Human Rights: Police Abuse and Accountability in the US and UK
Comparative Approaches to Human Rights: Miscarriages of Justice in the US and UK
Comparative Approaches to Human Rights: Drug Policy in the US and the Netherlands
Other courses taught:
Democracy Around the World
American Politics
Graduate Seminar in Scope and Methodology of Political Science
International Law: Human Rights
Cities at War: Chicago and London
Selected Professional Service
International and National:
Ongoing. Reviewer, American Journal of Political Science, British Journal of Political Science and International Relations, Foreign Policy Analysis, International Studies Quarterly, Human Rights Quarterly
Ongoing. Reviewer, Oxford University Press, Palgrave McMillan, Routledge, Ashgate, Wadsworth.
Spring 2012-Present. ISA Human Rights Section Vice-Chair.
Spring 2010-Present. ISA Human Rights Section Steering Committee Member.
Spring 2010-Present. ISA Human Rights Section Best Graduate Paper Award Committee.
Fall 2008-Summer 2010: Steering Committee Member and Logistics Chair, First Joint APSA/ISA/IPSA Human Rights Section Conference, Chicago, IL
Spring 2008-Present. H-Human Rights listserve editor.
Fall 2007-Present. Best Book Award Committee, APSA Human Rights Section.
Fall 2007-Present. London Metropolitan University Human Rights and Social Justice Research Institute, Research Associate.
Summer 2006-Present. Secretary, American Political Science Association Human Rights’ Section.
Spring 2006-Present. Secretary-Treasurer, Women’s Caucus for International Studies.
Fall 2005-present. International Foreign Policy and Public Opinion Listserve Manager.
Fall 2004-Present. Steering Committee, APSA Human Rights Section.
Fall 2004-2007. Best Dissertation Award Committee, APSA Human Rights Section.
Summer 2005-Spring 2006. Division Chair,MassMedia and Political Communication, Midwest Political Science Association
University and Community:
Spring 2012-Present. Clinic escort, Illinois Choice Action Team.
Fall 2011-Present. Instructor, Chicago Innocence Project.
Summer 2008-Present. Director, Joseph Loundy Human Rights Project.
Summer 2008-Summer 2009. Director of Social Justice Progamming, Mansfield Institute for Social Justice and Transformation.
Fall 2007-Present. Actors of Evil Ensemble Member, Democracy Burlesque Performance Group.
Spring 2007 and Winter 2007. Lecturer, Friendship Village Retirement Community.
Spring 2003-Spring 2005. Director, Roosevelt University Benefit Production, The Vagina Monologues.
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