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Department of Political Science and Public Administration College of Arts and Sciences

Robert G. Blanton

Robert G. Blanton

Chair and Professor rgblanton@uab.edu
Heritage Hall 414A
(205) 934-2339

Research and Teaching Interests: International political economy, human rights, international organization

Office Hours: T/R 1:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Education:

  • BA, North Carolina State University
  • MA, University of South Carolina
  • PhD, University of South Carolina

Dr. Blanton specializes in the area of international political economy, particularly the “human face” of the global economy. Broadly put, much of his current work deals with the intersection of human rights and the global economic system. That is, he examines how different facets of the global economy — including the investment decisions of multinational corporations, global trade, or the actions of international financial institutions such as the IMF and World Bank — either influence or are influenced by different types of human rights, such as personal integrity rights, labor rights, the right to safe work conditions and women’s rights. Another branch of his research focuses on the informal or “shadow” economy. Within this area, Dr. Blanton explores political and economic issues related to the shadow economy as a whole, specifically factors that contribute to growth in the informal economy. Other work within this vein of research deals more closely with a specific facet of the shadow economy, human trafficking. For more information on his research, check out the selected publications listed below as well as his google scholar page.

He is also active and engaged in various aspects of international studies education; he has directed international studies programs for many years and served as the section president of the International Education section of the International Studies Association (ISA). This interest extends to his research as well as the classroom, as he has published articles dealing with the challenges of international studies programs as well as ways to effectively incorporate aspects of pop culture — particularly zombies — into the classroom.