Javier Corrales, the Dwight W. Morrow 1895 Professor of Political Science, shows us Autocracy Rising: How Venezuela Transitioned to Authoritarianism (Brookings Institution Press). The book revisits theories of democratic backsliding, and compares events in Venezuela to 20 other cases throughout Latin America, to explain how and why the country has descended into autocratic rule and economic collapse in recent decades.
Elizabeth Aries, the Clarence Francis 1910 Professor in Social Sciences (Psychology), launched a study in 2005 of dozens of Black and white members of the class of 2009, interviewing them around ages 18, 22 and 30 (see the article about her research in the Winter 2021 Amherst magazine). The latest result is her new book The Impact of College Diversity: Struggles and Successes at Age 30 (Temple University Press). Aries explores how interactions with racially and socioeconomically diverse classmates have affected the lives and careers of these young adults.
Prompted by student concerns voiced during 2015’s Amherst Uprising, Professor of Chemistry Sheila S. Jaswal and Megan B. Lyster, then instructional designer for experiential learning in the College’s Center for Community Engagement, co-founded the Being Human in STEM Initiative, which has since grown and spread to other institutions. Now, along with Sarah L. Bunnell, associate director and STEM specialist for Amherst’s Center for Teaching and Learning, they present a guide called Being Human in STEM: Partnering with Students to Shape Inclusive Practices and Communities (Stylus Publishing).
Sean Redding, the Zephaniah Swift Moore Professor of History, has published Violence in Rural South Africa: 1880–1963 (University of Wisconsin Press). Drawing from court cases and documents, she investigates how the intrusive policies of the white South African state spurred an increase in large-scale fights, coercive abduction marriages, domestic violence and accusations of witchcraft, as well as politically motivated attacks against state officials
Illustration by Adam McCauley