Department of Government and Justice Studies

Allison Critcher is a Lecturer in Political Science in the Department of Government and Justice Studies at Appalachian State University. She is also a Ph.D. candidate in Political Science at the University of Tennessee, where she specializes in comparative politics. Her research and teaching interests center on the Middle East and North Africa, particularly the Arabian Gulf, gender and politics, political agency and participation, and feminist political theory. Her dissertation is titled Between Two Worlds: Women’s Political Agency in Kuwait. 

Allison’s research focuses broadly on how political institutions and social structures shape individuals' opportunities for political agency and participation, particularly among groups historically excluded from formal political power. Her dissertation research included approximately six months of field research in Kuwait, and her broader research has examined women's political representation in the Gulf, gender inequality in the Middle East, and political parties in the MENA region. Her work on political party development in the Middle East and North Africa appears in the Routledge Handbook on Political Parties in the Middle East and North Africa. 

In the classroom, she emphasizes the connections between political institutions, theory, and lived political experience. She has taught courses in comparative politics, international relations, security,
gender and politics, and contemporary global issues, and has received the University of Tennessee's David Mock Teaching Award for outstanding departmental teaching. 

Areas of Expertise and Interest:

• Middle East and North Africa
• Arabian Gulf Politics
• Gender, Politics, and Political Agency
• Comparative Politics
• Political Participation and Representation
• Feminist Political Theory
• International Relations and Security

Education:

• Ph.D. Candidate, Political Science, University of Tennessee
• M.A., Comparative Politics/International Relations, Appalachian State University
• Graduate Certificate, Gender, Women, & Sexuality Studies, Appalachian State University
• B.S., Social Science Education, concentration in Political Science, Appalachian State University

Selected Courses Taught:

• International Security
• Contemporary Global Issues
• Global Feminist Theory
• Contemporary International Problems
• Current Political Issues
• American Government
• Comparative Politics
• Introduction to Comparative Politics
• Introduction to International Relations
• Introduction to Political Science