Julie Mazzei
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About Julie
Mazzei's research focuses primarily on irregular political violence, looking at the ways in which actors like paramilitary groups (or death squad) organize and procure resources. Mazzei finds that non-state violent actors are able to organize and commit often extraordinary acts of violence in part because they are able to access institutional resources and use them without recourse. Mazzei's research more generally focuses on and speaks to the intersection of political development and human rights.
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Illustrates how establishing rapport in the field is key to successful data-collection. Explores the role identity plays in establishing rapport, looking specifically at the ways in which gender intersects with other identity components. Suggests ways in which researchers can navigate the relationships between their own intersectionality and that of informants.
Offers in a comparative case study in-depth data analysis demonstrating the ways in which paramilitary groups pull together networks of differently-resourced actors to procure space, weapons, and impunity.
Offers insights on the ways in which non-state actors organize, cooperate, learn over time, and impact the broader political environment. Discusses covering a wide range of non-state actors, the collection speaks to the import of extra-institutional political action.
Discusses using the Truth Commission launched in El Salvador after the civil war and demonstrates that the failure to include the public in an open truth-telling project has long-term political ramifications. Analyzes that the commission launched in El Salvador after the civil war along with the discourse used to protect and support the power hierarchy of the civil-war era (and before) was not challenged by the Truth Commission. Mentions that instead it continued to be utilized in post-conflict politics.
Elaborates on how Cuba's economy has evolved over the post-Revolution decades in a myriad of ways, perhaps most significantly in terms of trade partner relationships. Evaluates the independence of Cuba's economy since the Revolution, using the metrics of dependency theory.
Summarizes how the dual economic constructed in Cuba during the late 1990s has been called "apartheid" by some. Explains that the system was used not to exploit Cubans, but to exploit the international capitalism system to benefit the Cuban socio-economic policy-implementation.