Karen Ross
Director, Graduate Programs in Conflict Resolution
Biography
Karen Ross is an associate professor in the Department of Conflict Resolution, Human Security, and Global Governance and a senior fellow at the Center for Peace, Democracy, and Development, both at the McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies. Previously, she was an instructor at the Global & International Education Program at Drexel University and the Inquiry Methodology Program at Indiana University.
Karen's teaching and research focus on issues at the intersection of dialogue, peace-building, social activism, and education. She conducts research to help understand the impact of grassroots social change interventions and the way these interventions fit into efforts at broader societal transformation. In addition, Karen focuses on methodological issues related to how we conduct research about peace-building and social justice work and how we can do so in more inclusive and democratic ways. Among other areas, her work focuses on Israeli-Palestinian peace-building, restorative justice in US educational and correctional institutions, and dialogic teaching and learning in K-12 classrooms.
In addition to her academic work, Karen is a dialogue facilitator/facilitator trainer and evaluator, and has consulted for organizations including UNESCO, GPPAC, the Edward Kennedy Institute, Essential Partners, and the American Friends Service Committee.
Area of Expertise
Peace education, dialogue, research methodology, grassroots peace-building, social movements, nonviolent action
Degrees
PhD, Indiana University
MALD, Tufts University, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy
BA, Columbia University
Professional Publications & Contributions
Selected publications:
- Dennis, B., Li, P., Ross, K., & Zhao., P. (2021). Making sense of social research methodology: A student and practitioner centered approach. SAGE Publishing.
- Ross, K. (2017) Youth Encounter Programs in Israel: Pedagogy, Identity, and Social Change. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press.
- Ross, K. (2022). Aspiring to transformation: Solidarity and prefiguration in educational social movement organizations. In Factis Pax: Journal of Peace Education and Social Justice, 16 (1), 1-25.
- Ross, K.(2022). Reclaiming impact in qualitative research. Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 23(2), Article 5.
- Ross, K.,P. Li & M. Call-Cummings. (2022). Solidarity as methodological praxis. Qualitative Research.
- Li, P. & K. Ross. (2021). Validity of transformative experiences: An unfolding. Qualitative Inquiry, 27(3-4), 385-396.
- Ross, K. & D. Muro. (2020). Possibilities of prison-based restorative justice: Transformation beyond recidivism.” Contemporary Justice Review, 23(3), 291-313.
- Burnett, C. & K. Ross. (2020). Scaling Up nonviolent action: Do scholars and activists agree? Interface: A Journal for and About Social Movements, 12(1), 559-590.
- Ross, K. (2019). Navigating ‘red lines’ and transcending the binary: Tensions in the pedagogical and political goals of peace education work. Peace & Conflict Studies, 26(2), Article 2.
- Ross, K., C. Burnett, Y. Raschupkina & D. Kew. (2019). Scaling up peacebuilding and social justice work: A conceptual model. Peace and Change: A Journal of Peace Research, 44(4): 497-526.
- Pugh, J. & K. Ross. (2019). Mapping the field of international peace education programs and exploring their networked impact on peacebuilding. Conflict Resolution Quarterly, 37(1), 49-66.
- Ross, K. (2017). Untangling the intervention-context dyad through horizontal comparison: Examples from Israeli peacebuilding organizations. Comparative Education Review, 61(2), 327-353.
- Ross, K. (2014). Narratives of belonging (and not): Intergroup contact in Israel and the formation of ethno-national identity claims.” International Journal of Intercultural Relations 42, 38-52.
Additional Information
For more information on her research and publications, please visit Karen’s website