Deborah Akers
Encyclopedia
Deborah S. Akers Ph.D., JD. is an assistant professor of Cultural Applied Anthropology
at Miami University, Ohio
.
She is both an author and researcher and currently has a segment with Talk Radio News, DC where she discuss her research findings on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and meditation and the benefits of Asian meditation techniques and holistic stress-free living.
Dr. Akers was born in Cincinnati, Ohio
and grew up in the Midwest. She
earned a bachelor's degree in Arabic, a master's degree in Middle Eastern
Studies and Anthropology, and a doctorate in Anthropology from The Ohio
State University. She was one of the first students at The Ohio State University
to receive her BA in Arabic. Her PhD dissertation on Saudi Arabia is entitled “The Tribal Concept in Urban Saudi Arabia” (2001). Dr. Akers also holds a doctorate in Jurisprudence from Capital University
.
She moved to Washington, DC after graduation and worked as liaison officer with the U.S. Congress
Foreign Affairs Committee on Bosnia and Iran and staff attorney and then director for oversight with the Committee on House Administration in the United States Congress for the Smithsonian and the Library of Congress. She has also spoken on the issue of human rights in front of the Congressional Caucus
on Afghanistan.
Among the countries where Dr. Akers has lived and conducted fieldwork are Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; as well as Tibetan monasteries in Dharamasala, India, and Katmandu, Nepal. The geographical areas of her research include the Middle East (Saudi Arabia and Persian Gulf) and Central Asia ( Afghanistan, Nepal and Tibet ).
Her research in the Middle East since 1990 has focused on Political Tribal Systems and Political Islam in Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf. In her dissertation on The Tribal Concept in Urban Saudi Arabia , Dr. Akers examines the social and symbolic manifestations of clans, their psychological self-definition, and the consequences of modernization. Dr. Akers argues that understanding the clan concept as a form of group identification is essential to understanding Saudi sociocultural dynamics. She is currently conducting research in the Kingdom for her book on the social anthropology of Saudi Arabia . Dr. Akers has also co-translated into English and published short stories from the Arabian Peninsula and the Persian Gulf states , with social commentary. Among her scholarly works related to the Middle East are: My Days in Mecca (2009), Oranges in the Sun (2008), Histoires d’Arabie Saoudite (2007), They Die Strangers (2001), Voices of Change (1998).
Dr. Akers established the field school in the Tibetan refugee community in exile in northern India for her students at Miami University in the summer of 2005. Since then, she has been leading and directing field schools for groups of twenty in Dharamsala, India each summer. Here, students have an opportunity to study political issues and the non-violence doctrine espoused by the Dalai Lama
. It has since become a semester long program (The Miami University Tibetan Studies Semester Program) and is associated with The Institute for Buddhist Dialectics.
Since joining Miami University, Dr. Akers has taught courses on conflict in
the Islamic world, world cultures, and Tibetan approaches to non-violence.
She is currently writing on the social anthropology
of Saudi Arabia as well
as conducting research among the Tibetan community in exile in Dharamsala
,
India. Her work with Tibetan tortured political prisoners in India led to
the development of a study on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
involving the use of Tibetan meditation techniques to treat PTSD among
survivors of interpersonal abuse in Columbus, Ohio. The study is now in its
second year. The first year results can be read here.
Applied anthropology
Applied anthropology refers to the application of the method and theory of anthropology to the analysis and solution of practical problems. In as much as anthropology traditionally entails four sub-disciplines--Archaeology, biological/physical, cultural/social, and linguistic anthropology—the...
at Miami University, Ohio
Miami University
Miami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...
.
She is both an author and researcher and currently has a segment with Talk Radio News, DC where she discuss her research findings on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and meditation and the benefits of Asian meditation techniques and holistic stress-free living.
Dr. Akers was born in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
and grew up in the Midwest. She
earned a bachelor's degree in Arabic, a master's degree in Middle Eastern
Studies and Anthropology, and a doctorate in Anthropology from The Ohio
State University. She was one of the first students at The Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
to receive her BA in Arabic. Her PhD dissertation on Saudi Arabia is entitled “The Tribal Concept in Urban Saudi Arabia” (2001). Dr. Akers also holds a doctorate in Jurisprudence from Capital University
Capital University
Capital University is a private liberal arts university of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located in Bexley, Ohio, founded in 1830. In addition to its rigorous liberal arts program, the university also offers a reputable adult degree program in Columbus, Ohio. It is one of the oldest...
.
She moved to Washington, DC after graduation and worked as liaison officer with the U.S. Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
Foreign Affairs Committee on Bosnia and Iran and staff attorney and then director for oversight with the Committee on House Administration in the United States Congress for the Smithsonian and the Library of Congress. She has also spoken on the issue of human rights in front of the Congressional Caucus
Congressional caucus
A congressional caucus is a group of members of the United States Congress that meets to pursue common legislative objectives. Formally, caucuses are formed as congressional member organizations through the United States House of Representatives and governed under the rules of that chamber...
on Afghanistan.
Among the countries where Dr. Akers has lived and conducted fieldwork are Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; as well as Tibetan monasteries in Dharamasala, India, and Katmandu, Nepal. The geographical areas of her research include the Middle East (Saudi Arabia and Persian Gulf) and Central Asia ( Afghanistan, Nepal and Tibet ).
Her research in the Middle East since 1990 has focused on Political Tribal Systems and Political Islam in Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf. In her dissertation on The Tribal Concept in Urban Saudi Arabia , Dr. Akers examines the social and symbolic manifestations of clans, their psychological self-definition, and the consequences of modernization. Dr. Akers argues that understanding the clan concept as a form of group identification is essential to understanding Saudi sociocultural dynamics. She is currently conducting research in the Kingdom for her book on the social anthropology of Saudi Arabia . Dr. Akers has also co-translated into English and published short stories from the Arabian Peninsula and the Persian Gulf states , with social commentary. Among her scholarly works related to the Middle East are: My Days in Mecca (2009), Oranges in the Sun (2008), Histoires d’Arabie Saoudite (2007), They Die Strangers (2001), Voices of Change (1998).
Dr. Akers established the field school in the Tibetan refugee community in exile in northern India for her students at Miami University in the summer of 2005. Since then, she has been leading and directing field schools for groups of twenty in Dharamsala, India each summer. Here, students have an opportunity to study political issues and the non-violence doctrine espoused by the Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
. It has since become a semester long program (The Miami University Tibetan Studies Semester Program) and is associated with The Institute for Buddhist Dialectics.
Since joining Miami University, Dr. Akers has taught courses on conflict in
the Islamic world, world cultures, and Tibetan approaches to non-violence.
She is currently writing on the social anthropology
Social anthropology
Social Anthropology is one of the four or five branches of anthropology that studies how contemporary human beings behave in social groups. Practitioners of social anthropology investigate, often through long-term, intensive field studies , the social organization of a particular person: customs,...
of Saudi Arabia as well
as conducting research among the Tibetan community in exile in Dharamsala
Dharamsala
Dharamshala or Dharamsala is a city in northern India. It was formerly known as Bhagsu; it is the winter seat of government of the state of Himachal Pradesh and the district headquarters of the Kangra district....
,
India. Her work with Tibetan tortured political prisoners in India led to
the development of a study on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
involving the use of Tibetan meditation techniques to treat PTSD among
survivors of interpersonal abuse in Columbus, Ohio. The study is now in its
second year. The first year results can be read here.