Dr Sarah Goff

Postdoctoral Fellow 

Research topic

»The Limited Capacities of States: Implications for Issues in International Ethics«

Project outline

In my dissertation, I address two main questions. What is fair trade? How does it relate to individuals’ responsibilities and choices? In my current research, I am considering the implications of limited state capacity for several issues in international ethics. My first project is about the toleration of child labor in developing countries that lack administrative capacity and resources. The second project is about how a state should distribute its limited foreign aid budget, and whether it is wrong for donors to impose conditions on aid recipients. The final project concerns states’ duties to cooperate in order to enhance international institutions, including their ability to enforce international labor standards. (Sarah C. Goff)

Scholarly profile

In 2012, Sarah Goff received her PhD in Politics at Princeton University, with a dissertation entitled »Fair Trade: the Responsibilities of Consumers, Corporations, and States«.

Main areas of research

Global Justice, International Trade, Global Governance, International Assistance, and Foreign Aid

Selected publications

1. »Interference Demands Efficacy: Justifying Foreign Aid to Donors and Recipients« (in preparation).
2. »Exploitation in the Labor Market Arising from the Dereliction of Civic Duty: The Case of Gender Discrimination« (in preparation).

During her fellowship year, Sarah Goff developed her research on fair trade in coffee, gender discrimination in labor markets, and the purposes of international assistance. She also began a new research project in that last-mentioned field: her latest project deals with forms of conditionality in international assistance. After her stay at Justita Amplificata, she will take a position as a fellow in the Government department at the London School of Economics.