LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - On Monday, February 22, Lock Haven University will host a presentation by Dr. David Crocker, Senior Research Scholar at the Institute of Philosophy and Public Policy and the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland. The presentation, entitled "Cross-Cultural Criticism and Development Ethics,” will take place at 6:30 p.m. in the Hamblin Hall of Flags. Members of the public are invited to this free event.
In describing the content of his presentation, Crocker says that “if cross-cultural communication is possible, then not only citizens of a nation but also that country’s allies, friends and foes can understand and evaluate social change.” For example, “Non-Iraqis could weigh in on whether democracy is good for Iraq and how it should be promoted,” and “Non-Americans could not be out of place in assessing the US failure to prevent or respond adequately to Hurricane Katrina.” Similarly, “It would not be illegitimate for international aid organizations to applaud or criticize a poor nation’s effort to reduce deprivation and expand opportunity.” Crocker’s discussion will seek to answer the question about the possibility of cross-cultural criticism.
David A. Crocker specializes in sociopolitical philosophy, international development ethics, transitional justice, democracy and democratization, and the ethics of consumption. He teaches courses on ethics, development, foreign aid, democracy, and human rights. Dr. Crocker is director of the undergraduate College Park Scholars-Public Leadership living-learning-service program. In January 2010, he repeated as faculty director for a Study-abroad trip to Morocco, the theme of which is “Culture and Human Rights – A Public Leadership Perspective.”
The program is sponsored by the Lock Haven University Ethics Center with financial assistance from the Office of Social Equity