| Shadia Drury |
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EDUCATION & ACADEMIC INTERESTS Drury was educated at Queen's University (BA Hons, MA), in Kingston, Ontario, and York University (Ph.D., Political Science, 1978) in Toronto, Ontario. Her doctoral thesis was entitled ''The Concept of Natural Law''. Drury has taught Political Science and and now at the University Of Regina , where she holds the Canada Research Chair in Social Justice. Her objective in the position is to undertake an extensive publishing program, which includes books on St. Thomas Aquinas 's theory of Justice and its relation to the current Darwinian trends, a critique of the rise of Populism in Canada , an analysis of the Liberal and Conservative approaches to tradition (''Tradition and Taboo''), and a book on the relationship between Western liberalism and the growth of radical Feminism . Drury has stated her aim as an interdisciplinary Social Scientist is to temper enthusiasm for social ideals and Values that are taken too seriously and which thus threaten moderation and Justice . In her opinion, when society starts to believe that its Ideals and Values are "worthy of every sacrifice, every hardship and every abomination", Moderation and justice are threatened. Accordingly, much of her writing is aimed at a debunking of, or an attempt at critique of, extreme political views, as she sees them. THE STRAUSSIANS In Drury's opinion, contemporary Society is threatened by a small school of American academics labeled Straussian s, after the German born, Jewish-American political scientist, Leo Strauss ( 1899 - 1973 ). She has not shied away from voicing a strident interpretation of Strauss' work, and linking it to American Right-wing Public Policy . In print and on the airwaves ( CBC Radio interview ), she has stated that Straussians are a 'cult', a group of dangerous men who need to be exposed and analyzed in terms of not what they say, but what they do. Much of her most popular work is a 'psychological' analysis of the typical 'Straussian' graduate student and professor. Drury has produced a body of work on the impact of Strauss that has placed her in the position of authority for many Students , Academics and Media personalities who have little or no experience of Strauss' work. In so doing, she has garnered a rather controversial position in American politics. Her latest book departs from any one thinker and examines what she calls "two equally arrogant and self-righteous civilizations confronting one another". In ''Terror and Civilization: Christianity, Politics, and the Western Psyche'', Drury regards the contemporary political problem as "thoroughly Biblical." "Each (civilization) is convinced that it is on the side of God, truth and justice, while its enemy is allied with Satan, wickedness, and barbarism." CURRENT INTERPRETATIONS Many readers of Drury's work feel she has a good grasp of the topics her writings set out to cover. Others express concern that as a and Christianity . It is worth noting that Drury is an academic from Western Canada , the region of the country most sharply divided by right-wing and Left-wing Ideology . Canada is a nation deeply affected by Regionalism , and widely divergent attitudes, Public Opinion s, manners and Mores , as well as Political Parties have developed in its separate regions. In the regions where Drury has taught ( Alberta and Saskatchewan ), one can reasonably argue that the most entrenched right-wing ( Alberta ) and the most entrenched left-wing (Saskatchewan) provincial governments in Canada hold electoral domination. The much-discussed ' Blue State - Red State ' dichotomy found in the United States most closely applies in Canada to the Prairie Provinces . Drury has been active in publicly countering right-wing Conservative Party advisers employed at the University of Calgary. She often equates American right-wing policy with the Alberta-bred Reform Party - Canadian Alliance Party , which, in re-branding itself as the Conservative Party of Canada, has grown in popularity in successive federal elections, finally winning a minority government lead by Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Jan 23rd, 2006. LIST OF WORKS
Professor Drury's web page has a great number of links to her work, including many full text articles that are downloadable, as well as link to a CBC Radio interview. {Link without Title} BIBLIOGRAPHY
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