What I do
I am a political sociologist with a focus on mass violence, gender, politics, and development. My current research agenda examines the political, economic, and social consequences of armed conflict.
Specialization(s)
Political Violence, gender, social movements, Feminist Theory, Contentious Politics, Feminist Security Studies, Development, Inequality, Comparative Historical Sociology, Human Rights, Genocide, Qualitative Methods
Professional Biography
Dr. Marie Berry is an Associate Professor at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver, where she is an affiliate of the Sié Chéou-Kang Center for International Security and Diplomacy. She is also the Director of the Inclusive Global Leadership Initiative (IGLI), an effort to catalyze research, education, and programming aimed at elevating and amplifying the work that women activists are doing at the grassroots to advance peace, justice, and human rights across the world. As a sociologist, her research focuses on violence, gender, and politics. Her first book, War, Women, and Power: From Violence to Mobilization in Rwanda and Bosnia-Herzegovina (Cambridge University Press 2018), examines the impact of war and genocide on women’s political mobilization in Rwanda and Bosnia. Her second book project explores women’s participation in movements for social change across the world. Together with Dr. Milli Lake (LSE), she runs the Women’s Rights After War Project. Dr. Berry’s award-winning work has been published in places like Gender & Society, Democratization, Signs, New Political Economy, Mobilization, Politics & Gender, Foreign Policy, The Society Pages, and Political Violence @ A Glance.
Degree(s)
- Ph.D., Sociology, University of California, Los Angeles, 2015
- MA, Sociology, University of California, Los Angeles, 2010
- BA, International Studies and Political Science, Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington, 2007
Professional Affiliations
- American Sociology Association
- International Studies Association
- Social Science History Association
- African Studies Association
- Sociologists for Women in Society
Research
Together with Milli Lake (LSE), my current research critically examines women’s empowerment interventions after war. As part of the Women’s Rights After War (WRAW) Project, we are compiling a dataset and series of case studies aimed at evaluating whether, and under what conditions, women’s empowerment interventions can differentially benefit women from different backgrounds, map onto—and even aggravate—existing socio-political cleavages, and be used instrumentally by regimes to consolidate their political control.
Key Projects
- The Role of Inclusion in Successful Nonviolent Protest Campaigns
Featured Publications
. (2018). War, Women, and Power: From Violence to Mobilization in Rwanda and Bosnia-Herzegovina. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
. (2017). Barriers to Women’s Progress After Atrocity: Evidence from Rwanda and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Gender & Society, 31(6).
Presentations
. (2018). Women and Power After War . Annual Meeting . Boston, MA: American Political Science Association .
. (2018). Bosnian Women, Resilience, and the (Unfinished) Search for Peace. Annual Meeting . San Francisco, CA: International Studies Association .
. (2018). Peace and Conflict Session . Sociology and Development Regular Session. Philadelphia, PA: American Sociological Association .
. (2017). Liminal Hybrid Regimes in Rwanda and South Africa . European Conference on African Studies Annual Meeting. Basel, Switzerland: European Conference on African Studies.
. (2017). The Micro-Dynamics of Non-Violence During the Bosnia War. American Sociological Association Annual Meeting. Montreal, Canada: American Sociological Association.
Awards
- Peace, War, and Social Conflict Best Book Award, American Sociological Association
- Sociology of Development Best Book Award (honorable mention), American Sociological Association
- Mirra Komorovsky Book Award (Honorable Mention), Eastern Sociological Society
- ASA Section on Peace, War and Social Conflict, Best Article Award, American Sociological Association
