Carlos Olmedo

Research interests

My primary research interest is the social and politico-institutional consequences of political violence. In particular, I focus on the effects of ideational factors (worldviews orientations) on postwar politics. My PhD thesis asks how specific understandings of order namely those informed by the Weberian ideal of modern statehood and local perceptions influenced by wartime politics engage in the negotiation(s) over how the political, economic, and social realms should be (re)structured to secure stable polities after episodes of political violence and conflict. I am specifically interested in the agency of non-state ordering processes in countries emerging from decades long intrastate wars —by which I mean strong social actors, extra-legal forms of social control and particularly sets of assumptions and beliefs that inform social practices at the local level— and ‘whether’ (if at all) and ‘how’ they shape patterns of governance and postwar politics. Simply put, I look at the manner in which local orders that have become deeply embedded in local people’s worldviews affect the ‘ideal’ or ‘desirable’ governance frameworks underscoring external involvement in postwar environments. I use evidence from postwar Guatemala to help illustrate my conceptual framework and build my argument. In addition to desk research, I also rely on extensive archival work, field interviews and ethnographic evidence to triangulate my empirical claims.

Qualifications

• MA in International Relations (University of Leeds)
• Bachelor’s degree in Law (National University of Asuncion, Paraguay)