Research
I have several areas of research that are both domestic and international. I love working on and in the Caribbean and Latin America. Fieldwork is the best part of doing research. I’ve carried out fieldwork in a number of countries: Belize, Brazil, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua and Panama. Recently, I’ve been spending a good deal of time in Central America. Initially, I worked in Brazil.
The issues that are most interesting to me revolve around how indigenous and Afro-Latin political mobilization is changing the landscape of politics in the region. In particular, I’ve become fascinated with collective land struggles by Afro-Latins. This issue touches upon a number of hot-button issues, such as land reform, social movements, social and environmentally sustainable development and property regimes.
These struggles are taking place in the context of neoliberal reform, which is opening these counties up to foreign investment and the exploitation of natural resources. This point is critical because Afro-Latin groups tend to live in areas such as forests, mountains, and coastlines – all of which are rich in natural resources.
I was awarded a grant from the Ford Foundation’s Global Civil Society Program to explore issues around black land rights in Latin America. Along with my colleagues, we’re convening actors from black communities that are struggling for collective land rights. They’ll present papers and dialogue with each other about what’s happening in their countries.
I am also interested in issues such as democratization and democracy, which have taken place in pendulum swings in the region. The shape and content of democracy are being contested in a number of countries – often by previously marginalized groups, such as indigenous peoples. In some instances, well-organized mobilization by these groups succeeded in overthrowing democratically elected leaders. This raises a number of important and troubling questions about civil society, political mobilization, and democracy.
Finally, the macroeconomic context in which politics is contested in the region is key. Institutions such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) all play a key role in Latin America and the Caribbean. Structural reforms have reshaped not only national economic policymaking, but the terrain on which politics itself happens. It is too simplistic to argue that such policies are good or bad. Rather, we need fine-tuned analysis that focuses on how the policies affect different groups and social, political and economic outcomes.
I’m also very interested in international political economy, from the perspective of global institutions themselves. My book manuscript explores the question of institutional reform at the World Bank, using environmental reform as a case study. Global civil society figures prominently in the book. In addition to touching on the actual policies of the Bank, it also addresses various theories used to explain institutional behavior and reform. What makes international institutions such as the Bank, change? Or, does it change?
Although my academic training has focused on comparative politics and Latin America, I’m keenly interested in what’s happening right here in the United States. It is hard not to be! Much of my interest in domestic politics stems from my involvement in grassroots projects. I’ve worked for years with inner-city youth, doing programming, program design and evaluation. I’m especially interested in the role of faith-based organizations in addressing issues such as juvenile delinquency, gangs, and ex-offender reentry. Of course, you have to understand the broader political context, too. The state of black political leadership is of particular concern to me. They play an important role both domestically and in terms of lobbying for US foreign aid to Africa, the Caribbean and increasingly, Latin America.