Research

In my book-length dissertation project, I take up the challenge of theorizing borderlands as unique geopolitical spaces and local communities as central actors. Knowledge about the macro-level causes and effects of border hardening is abundant, but little is understood about its “on-the-ground” politics. Local communities are unique in their opportunity to engage with people, goods, and institutions across the border. These communities also directly experience changes in how borders are governed.

Given this position, how are local communities navigating the global trend toward hardened borders? I answer this question on three axes: (1) the conditions under which local communities oppose border hardening, (2) how border hardening affects relations between local communities and states, and (3) how communities conversely impact the content of border policy. The empirical basis of the multi-method project comprises global quantitative analyses with an original geospatial measure of transnational ties, qualitative fieldwork at the United States–Mexico border, and both observational and experimental survey tests.

An article-length version of one chapter is currently under review (see the manuscript here).