Assistant Professor
Ph.D. American University, 2006
Fields: Fields: Latin American politics, comparative politics, international relations, human rights, developing countries, political conflict
Julie Mazzei’s research interests lie primarily in the political dynamics of rights deprivation, particularly involving non-traditional political actors. Her research has focused on paramilitary groups (“death squads”) in Latin America, particularly in Colombia, Mexico, and El Salvador. Her book, entitled “Death Squads or Self-Defense Forces? How Paramilitary Groups Emerge and Challenge Democracy in Latin America” was released by University of North Carolina Press in 2009. She has also co-authored a piece on gender and methodology, “You Got It, So When Do You Flaunt It?” in the Journal of Contemporary Ethnography (2009) and "Cuba's Quest for Economic Independence" (Journal of Latin American Studies 2002). Prof. Mazzei is currently working a project looking at democratic development in El Salvador.
e-mail: jmazzei@kent.edu