Political Violence Lab

This lab is organized around the use of sociological methods, particularly historical, interview, and field methods, to understand the nature and function of political violence in everyday life. Utilizing an ecological understanding of violence, Dr. Buchanan and their students examine the nature and consequences of political violence on various social relations. 

This lab is focused on more than the work of it’s primary investigator. It’s purpose is to develop a cadre of scholars who are well versed in gathering and assessing empirical data related to political violence and apply this knowledge in a practical and community-oriented manner. 

Haunted Cities: Tracing Domestic Militarization and Its Excesses

This project explores how militarized equipment, distributed to local police departments through the Department of Defense’s “1033” Program, functions as a networked means through which “legitimate” violence is brought to bear.

Recruitment Information

  • Location

    • This lab is digital in nature, meaning that our meetings and other work will be coordinated online. When possible, an in-person meeting will be offered with the option of remote attendance. 

  • Compensation ($1,000, split into flat monthly payments over the course of the semester)

    • Each student researcher is expected to contribute approximately 33 hours of labor. This includes expectations around methods reading, text and interview coding, and data analysis.

  • Course Credit (If Useful)

    • Those who would like course credit can also request “Individual Study” credits for their participation in the lab, with the additional stipulation that this will entail additional reading regarding historical and field methods in sociology.

  • Travel Component

    • Student researchers will be offered the opportunity to travel to local/regional archives in order to practice the skills we work on over the course of the semester.

  • Research Publishing

    • If student researchers conduct independent research through the lab, they can expect support and guidance from the PI in publishing their research results. For research conducted alongside the PI, they can expect to be named as co-authors in research that results from their labor. 

  • Technology Requirements

    • Laptop or Desktop Computer

    • Remote Conferencing Capability