This is year 2 of the PhD and this is the year that I spend preparing for comprehensive exams and working in a specialization area. My specialization area is religion and politics, specifically Protestant religion and the relationship that it has played in the formation of the political agenda in North America. Although I am currently reading the history of this formation, I have a feeling that I will most likely write on the current situation in North America, however, I have not yet decided if I will write on the United States or Canada. Obviously, the US offers me the likes of George Bush Jr, Clinton, the Religious Right, the Moral Majority, the Tea Party, Palin, Beck, and the role of religion in the shaping of policies relating to homosexuality, abortion, private school tax credits, and a host of others. Canada, on the other hand, has a more liberal view on many social issues yet in recent years has begun to swing towards an American-style view of religion and politics, especially under current Prime Minister Steven Harper and the likes of Stockwell Day. So, there is a lot to think about while I begin the year.
In the mean time, the kids are also starting school, I am a TA (teaching assistant) once again, and am trying to figure out how to survive another school year financially.
