Dr Judith Verweijen

Judith's work is situated at the intersection of conflict studies, political ecology, and critical military studies. Her current and recent research orientations include:

Natural resources, conflict and armed mobilization

How do natural resources exploitation and conflicts surrounding natural resources relate to armed mobilization and violence? How do armed actors shape regimes of access to and the exploitation of natural resources? And how do narratives surrounding resources come to constitute collective action frames that inspire social and armed mobilization? Focusing on eastern DRC, I have examined a variety of resources–including cattle, gold (both artisanally and industrially mined), and forest products, in particular in protected areas. In addition, I look at atmospheres of violence surrounding environmental defenders.

The micro-dynamics of militarization

Why do people in conflict appeal to armed actors to settle their disputes? How are armed groups and the national armed forces embedded in local economies? What influence do armed actors have on local governance? In what ways do civilians resist armed actors? To answer these questions, I examine the multi-faceted and fine-grained contacts between civilians and armed actors in eastern DRC, thereby providing explanations for the protractedness of violent conflict in the area.

The internal workings of state and non-state armed forces

To understand civilian-military interaction, including violence against civilians, it is crucial to understand how armed forces work internally. How do soldiers and officers understand their profession, and what are their representations of civilians? What norms and discourses are salient, and what norm-enforcement mechanisms are in place? I explored these dimensions extensive interviews with military personnel and armed group combatants, as well as the study of their social practices.