Inspiring People
Pauline Eadie
Examining the structures that shape human capabilities
Dr Pauline Eadie is an Associate Professor in the School of Politics and International Relations. Her research and teaching focuses on human resilience, particularly in the Philippines and among Filipino communities abroad.
Research should not exist in an echo chamber that justifies a preconceived position
How would you explain your research?
My research has focused on human resilience, with a particular interest in the Philippines and the Filipino diaspora. My work examines the structures - political, cultural, economic and geographic that are the backdrop for human capabilities. I have examined what people are capable of under the most adverse of circumstances, including environmental disasters, the pandemic and abject poverty and inequality. I argue that the study of security should include chronic stressors, including unemployment, food and housing insecurity and a lack of access to health care, education or legal protection. My work has examined how people and their communities have organised and fought for rights, justice and well-being.
What inspired you to pursue this area?
My interest in the Philippines and non-traditional security started with my undergraduate and graduate work on South-East Asia and the environment. I found Stanley Karnow’s book interesting as an overview of the history of the Philippines and an introduction as to why the Philippines punches above its geostrategic weight as the gateway to both the Western Pacific and the South China Sea. However, by E. San Juan Jr. was extremely influential for me, as it offered a counter-narrative of the Philippines, not least because it explored how knowledge is produced, how colonial structures endure and how human capability can be self-woven under such conditions. E. San Juan (Sonny) became a friend after I reviewed his book and has been kind enough to support me throughout my career with contacts and advice.
The Philippines has changed from being known as the ‘sick man’ of Asia, due to political corruption and economic stagnation under the first Marcos regime in the 1970s and 1980s, to being one of the fastest-growing economies in Southeast Asia. Nevertheless, wealth has grown rapidly but unequally, with significant levels of poverty in evidence across the country. All of this makes the country extremely interesting from the perspective of both International Relations and human security.
How will your research affect the average person?
Throughout my research, I have sought to foreground the voices of Filipinos and to work with Filipino researchers. I have been lucky enough to travel to the Philippines many times and to have built up a network of friends and co-authors over time. I also worked with young local researchers in Tacloban in the aftermath of , many of whom now have successful academic careers. The average person might be interested in my work because I have written about how communities have survived under the most difficult of circumstances and amplified voices from the field. My explanations of social capital and resilience may be useful to understand human behaviour, self-help, social justice and human capabilities.
What advice would you give to someone starting out?
Read as widely as you can and look for viewpoints that challenge your own. Research should not exist in an echo chamber that justifies a preconceived position. Say yes to every opportunity that comes your way – one thing (a contact, a skill learned or an experience tried) tends to lead to another.
What’s the biggest challenge in your field?
Working with different cultures can be challenging, and that takes time to get used to. Just because someone is doing something different to you, it does not mean that it is wrong; it just means that it is different. Culture explains a lot of human behaviour and how societies operate. Human behaviour can be messy, seemingly irrational, self-serving, disorganised or contradictory. However, qualitative or mixed method research should still be ethical, objective, transparent and scientifically rigorous.