Who am I?
I'm a Professor of Political Science at the University of Michigan, Faculty Associate at the Center for Political Studies, writer, scholar-activist, teacher, generator of ideas and artist. Primary research interests include political conflict (e.g., human rights violations, genocide/politicide, torture, political surveillance, civil war and social movements), measurement, racism and popular culture. I am the author of four books; two solo-authored: State Repression and the Promise of Democratic Peace (2007, Cambridge University Press), and Media Bias, Perspective and State Repression: The Black Panther Party (2010, Cambridge University Press) – winner of Best Book in Racial Politics and Social Movements by the American Political Science Association; and, two edited: Repression and Mobilization with Carol Mueller and Hank Johnston (University of Minnesota Press. 2004), and Paths to State Repression: Human Rights Violations and Contentious Politics (Rowman & Littlefield, 2000). I am the author of numerous articles appearing in the American Political Science Review, the American Sociological Review, the American Journal of Political Science, the Journal of Politics, the Journal of Conflict Resolution, Comparative Political Studies, and the Monthly Review (among others).
What is my interest in popular culture?
Well, I have become convinced that more people are exposed to and learn from popular characterizations of political conflict and violence, then they do from direct experience or scholarly research. As a consequence, I decided that it would be useful to understand what most individuals are exposed to and thus what they might understand about the topic. Simply, one has to go where the people are. This has also been a rather long-standing interest. I first got into comics as a child - principally Marvel (e.g., X-men, Fantastic Four and the Silver Surfer) but later Image and other independents. While my mother was dancing on Broadway in diverse musicals that you probably never heard of, I was given amazing access to a one-eyed comic dealer in a store that no longer exists. This is where the majority of my nicest comics came from. I first got into film after long sunday afternoons watching Kung Fu theater in New York as well as being dragged to one too many foreign movies in the lower east side of Manhattan. This interest got solidified after some class in undergrad. My principal exposure to popular culture was probably through my artistic/pseudo-hippie mother listening to various music from the 1960s but my palette got further refined at the knee of Gil Scott Heron when I was a teenager who took me through the more explicitly political. A dear friend John Corbett is continuing this education in music as others school me in fine art and dance. With regards to games, well... I have been playing as well as making them since I was a kid (as my childhood friends will attest to). I have created two games over the last 20 years (For Real - the Game of Urban Survival and Power to the People - the Game of Dissent and Repression). One game is under development: Untouchability - The Game of Caste Discrimination. One game was started with Elaine Pagels but not completed: The Gospel Truth, regarding the process of creating, distributing, hiding and discovering the gospels. And, I am working through a new one but I don't discuss that one yet. Currently finishing up a book called POP Struggle: Repression and Dissent in Film, Comics and Graphic Novels.
For more information, please refer to the following webpage: www.christiandavenport.com.
I'm a Professor of Political Science at the University of Michigan, Faculty Associate at the Center for Political Studies, writer, scholar-activist, teacher, generator of ideas and artist. Primary research interests include political conflict (e.g., human rights violations, genocide/politicide, torture, political surveillance, civil war and social movements), measurement, racism and popular culture. I am the author of four books; two solo-authored: State Repression and the Promise of Democratic Peace (2007, Cambridge University Press), and Media Bias, Perspective and State Repression: The Black Panther Party (2010, Cambridge University Press) – winner of Best Book in Racial Politics and Social Movements by the American Political Science Association; and, two edited: Repression and Mobilization with Carol Mueller and Hank Johnston (University of Minnesota Press. 2004), and Paths to State Repression: Human Rights Violations and Contentious Politics (Rowman & Littlefield, 2000). I am the author of numerous articles appearing in the American Political Science Review, the American Sociological Review, the American Journal of Political Science, the Journal of Politics, the Journal of Conflict Resolution, Comparative Political Studies, and the Monthly Review (among others).
What is my interest in popular culture?
Well, I have become convinced that more people are exposed to and learn from popular characterizations of political conflict and violence, then they do from direct experience or scholarly research. As a consequence, I decided that it would be useful to understand what most individuals are exposed to and thus what they might understand about the topic. Simply, one has to go where the people are. This has also been a rather long-standing interest. I first got into comics as a child - principally Marvel (e.g., X-men, Fantastic Four and the Silver Surfer) but later Image and other independents. While my mother was dancing on Broadway in diverse musicals that you probably never heard of, I was given amazing access to a one-eyed comic dealer in a store that no longer exists. This is where the majority of my nicest comics came from. I first got into film after long sunday afternoons watching Kung Fu theater in New York as well as being dragged to one too many foreign movies in the lower east side of Manhattan. This interest got solidified after some class in undergrad. My principal exposure to popular culture was probably through my artistic/pseudo-hippie mother listening to various music from the 1960s but my palette got further refined at the knee of Gil Scott Heron when I was a teenager who took me through the more explicitly political. A dear friend John Corbett is continuing this education in music as others school me in fine art and dance. With regards to games, well... I have been playing as well as making them since I was a kid (as my childhood friends will attest to). I have created two games over the last 20 years (For Real - the Game of Urban Survival and Power to the People - the Game of Dissent and Repression). One game is under development: Untouchability - The Game of Caste Discrimination. One game was started with Elaine Pagels but not completed: The Gospel Truth, regarding the process of creating, distributing, hiding and discovering the gospels. And, I am working through a new one but I don't discuss that one yet. Currently finishing up a book called POP Struggle: Repression and Dissent in Film, Comics and Graphic Novels.
For more information, please refer to the following webpage: www.christiandavenport.com.