Conferences

The Institute of Latin American Studies hosted the following conference in the Fall of 2009:

Crime, Insecurity, Fear in Mexico: Ethnographic and Policy Approaches
An Interdisciplinary Workshop

Crime in multiple forms has become one of the key issues in public life in contemporary Mexico. The country has witnessed a spectacular increase in organized criminal activities throughout its territory. Since the economic crisis of the mid-1990s, criminal rates have increased rapidly and some particularly violent crimes has overtaken the media. The amount of resources, both state and private, spent on crime prevention and law enforcement has also multiplied. At the same time, insecurity and police corruption have become central public concerns. Today, Mexicans largely evaluate the performance of their local, state and national governments on their ability to deal with crime, while international perceptions of Mexico are increasingly dominated by the problem of crime. 

As a response to these trends, a vast literature on the problem of insecurity in Mexico has appeared in recent years. Many studies privilege a quantitative and policy-oriented perspective, emphasizing state institutions as the key to reduce crime to manageable levels. Recent work is also exploring cultural phenomena and class relations, as they are integral elements of the conflicts and meaning of crime for contemporary Mexican society. Their studies explore the impact of crime on everyday life and the role of civil society in dealing with conflict and promoting prevention.

The conference, “Crime, Insecurity, Fear in Mexico,” established a dialogue that incorporates different perspectives on a topic of great importance for Mexico and its neighbors. The workshop brought together scholars from different disciplines—such as history, anthropology and sociology—whose research engages crime in Mexico from a sociocultural perspective. The first day of the workshop explored ethnographic approaches to crime and policing. The second day of the workshop focused on the problems of gathering reliable data about trends and distribution of crime, and of translating that knowledge into public policy and informed public discussion.

Sponsors:
Institute of Latin American Studies, Columbia University
Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy, Columbia University
Trans-Border Institute, University of San Diego
Tinker Foundation
Hewlett Foundation 

To learn about other events taking place at ILAS, please visit our events page.