Students in the M.A. Program
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Garrett Odhiambo Arwa is in the final stages of his M.A. thesis. Working with faculty advisor, Professor Jeannie Sowers, Garrett’s project is a case study on the effects of oil on democracy in Kuwait. While traditional studies indicate that states heavily reliant on oil tend to be less democratic than those not dependent on oil, this only holds up in cross-national comparisons. Kuwait, on the other hand, shows signs of democratization more advanced than many other monarchies in the Middle East. Comparing democratization and autocracy in Kuwait and Morocco, with oil as the intervening variable, Garrett contends that oil has had a positive effect in promoting the autonomy and agency of certain social groups in Kuwait, in comparison to similar groups in Morocco. |
Current and recent students in the M.A. program have a range of backgrounds from government work and teaching to recent graduates in the social sciences. They are available to answer questions about the M.A. program and life as a UNH graduate student.