Life has been a whirlwind of activity since my last blog post. I finished my second quarter and am one class away from finishing the third. My thesis production is in full swing and will be my full-time activity during the summer break that will officially begin on December 20th. The following is a short description of my thesis:
My thesis seeks to question the claim proposed by key authors, such as Connie McNeely, in the field of education multilateralism that ideas and conceptions of education that are diffused by international organizations have a homogenizing effect on national education policies and practices by analyzing 1) to what point two overlapping ideas of education that are disseminated by the World Bank and UNESCO and not just one idea exist, 2) how these two overlapping ideas of education converge and diverge, and 3) how these two ideas of education manifest themselves in the education policy and practice in Argentina between 2001 and 2008.
I will be taking a constructivist theoretical approach (i.e. the approach that "ideas" matter in international relations and the behavior of States) to my thesis and will employ more constructivist investigative methods such as discourse analysis.
My time has been busy with various Rotary presentations about the World Action Week for the Global Campaign for Education in which I became involved last year. Unfortunately, my life has gotten a little too busy so I am not going to be participating as actively with the Campaign from here on out. However, I am staying in contact with the Campaign and continuing to link Rotary with the education rights efforts of the Campaign. The picture is of me at the Catedral del Sur Rotary Club in Buenos Aires. They meet in the famous Café Tortoni that was founded in 1858 and is where some of the most famous Argentina writers and artists would spend their time.
Apart from these endeavors, I have been doing a lot of yoga and trying to find time to sing. Oh...I have a job as well as a tutor/teacher for a 16 year old from Alabama who is here training to be a professional soccer player.
On December 21, I leave for Brazil for the holidays. I'll post pictures upon my return.
Yep...back to same old Jane...going crazy with all my activities.
