معرفی
David D. Laitin is the James T. Watkins IV and Elise V. Watkins Professor of Political Science at Stanford University. He has previously taught at UCSD (1975–1987) and the University of Chicago (1987–1999). His research focuses on comparative politics, particularly the intersections of language, religion, ethnic conflict, and civil war across diverse regions like Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.
- Education: BA from Swarthmore College, PhD from UC Berkeley under Ernst Haas and Hanna Pitkin.
His fieldwork spans Somalia, Nigeria, Spain, Estonia, and France, addressing how cultural phenomena shape nation-state integration. Notably, he co-authored studies with James Fearon on ethnic cooperation and civil war causes, and with Eli Berman and Alan Krueger on terrorism.
Key contributions include directing Stanford’s Immigration Policy Lab, leading interdisciplinary projects on immigrant integration policies published in Science, PNAS, and Nature Human Behavior. His seminal books cover topics such as Somali governance, Yoruba religious change, and Muslim integration challenges.
- Scientific Awards: Howard, Rockefeller, Guggenheim, and Russell Sage fellowships; 2021 John Skytte Prize; elected member of two leading national academies.
He has held major grants, including NSF support for ethnographic and experimental research on religious discrimination in France. His work bridges empirical field studies with policy-driven experiments, emphasizing cultural dynamics in political development.
