Elon senior Katie Strickland and her research mentor, sociology professor Tom Arcaro, traveled to New Orleans the weekend of Nov. 13-15 to participate in the annual meeting of the Association for Humanist Sociology Conference.
Strickland, an Honors Fellow, Lumen Scholar and Periclean Scholar, presented her thesis work “Effective Development Aid in Ghana, West Africa: Hearing the Voice of the Recipient.” Her research seeks to explain what makes development aid projects successful, highlighting the importance of creating partnerships, being culturally sensitive, and reducing ethnocentrism when developing aid projects.
Strickland said she found the other humanist sociologists to be incredibly supportive of her endeavors, offering their advice and encouragement. Arcaro also presented his work, “Coming out as an Atheist: A Survey,” in a thought-provoking session. It was greeted with great interest and sparked an exciting and insightful debate.