Evaluation in the Extreme: Research, Impact and Politics in Violently Divided Societies - Hardcover

An exploration of the ways in which research, power and politics interact in violently divided societies Over the past two decades, there has been an increase in the funding ofresearch in and on violently divided societies. But how do we know whetherresearch makes any diff erence to these societies—is the impact constructiveor destructive? This book is the fi rst to systematically explore this questionthrough a series of case studies written by those on the front lines of appliedresearch. It off ers clear and logical ways to understand the positive or negativerole that research, or any other aid intervention, might have in developingsocieties a ffected by armed confl ict, political unrest and/or social violence.

Kenneth Bush is Executive Director and Altajir Lecturer in Post-war Recovery Studies at the Post-war Reconstruction and Development Unit of the University of York, UK. He received his PhD in International Relations and Comparative Politics from Cornell University, New York. Throughout his career, Dr Bush has worked within and between the worlds of research, policy and practice, inside and outside conflict zones. His work seeks to bridge the gap between peace studies and evaluation― in particular, his work focuses on peace and conflict impact assessment (PCIA) and on the ethical, political, logistical and methodological challenges confronting evaluators in conflict zones. Dr Bush was a founding professor of the Conflict Studies Programme at St Paul University in Ottawa, Canada. He has published and taught courses on evaluation, methodology for peace and conflict studies, social justice, ethnicised conflict, peacebuilding, post-cold war security, international relations theory, conflict management, forced displacement, war-affected kids, foreign policy and indigenous governance. Dr Bush has worked with a broad spectrum of policy, development and humanitarian organisations in the Global North and South.