Peeking in my direction

I have a doctoral degree in Agricultural Economics and Policy. My research has mostly contributed to projects concerned with rural and local development, particularly through use of Social Network Analysis methods. The idea that inspires my research is that the existence of strong human relationships within the local communities is a fundamental condition to successfully tackle socio-economic difficulties. But, for a full understanding of the implications of social relation strength and the ability to overcome socio-economic problems, simply drawing a map of those relationships is not enough. In my research I try to ask: What lies behind a social network? What does development exactly mean? And how local development could be promoted? In looking for answers, I have engaged in field research following my instinct, meeting people and talking to them. 

Not surprisingly, recently my interests have been directed towards the naturalistic inquiry approach and visual research methods, which contain tools useful for doing research in a different way; something that goes beyond words and numbers and that, I instinctively discovered, depends on the ability to get "humanly" in touch with the others.

In a nutshell: I'm a Researcher, yes. Inside and out! I try to put who I am in what I do. When the fusion is there, I am happy with the result. Otherwise, I try again.

P.s. By the way, I wrote a book about them!