Fieldwork in the Favela's: Political scientist Juan Masullo Receives Award
Juan Masullo J., Assistant Professor at Leiden University’s Institute of Political Science, has been named a 2025 Harry Frank Guggenheim Distinguished Scholar. His research with Nicholas Barnes on public security policy preferences in Rio de Janeiro's favelas has been recognized for its innovative approach to understanding violence and civilian agency.
Criminal violence, criminalized governance and militarized policing
Juan Masullo (Leiden University) and Nicholas Barnes (University of St. Andrews) are investigating how civilians navigate criminal violence, criminalized governance and militarized policing in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Their project, ‘Under the Iron Fist: Examining Public Security Policy Preferences of Favela Residents in Rio de Janeiro,’ explores the perspectives of communities affected by ongoing violence and state militarized interventions in marginalized neighborhoods. By combining immersive fieldwork and survey research with hard-to-reach populations, their work provides critical insights into security strategies to deal with crime and their social impact. ‘While we are beginning to better understand the average citizen's preferences regarding different strategies to address crime—from community policing to militarized interventions—we know very little about what those who live in the areas where these strategies are implemented, and who bear their costs, actually think. This project seeks to correct that by reaching populations that city-level representative samples often overlook,’ explains Masullo. As part of the award, Masullo and Barnes will receive research funding to further advance their work.
About the prize
The Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation supports research that enhances understanding of violence's causes, manifestations, and control. Each year, the foundation selects distinguished scholars whose work contributes to tackling major societal challenges. The ten grantees of this year, chosen through a rigorous peer-review competition, are exploring important problems of violence in the world. “This year’s recipients of the HFG Distinguished Scholar Award are quite varied in the violence problems they’re studying and the sites of that violence,” said Joel Wallman, Director of Research at HFG. “Supporting their work reflects the Foundation’s belief that reducing violence requires first understanding its causes. These researchers will substantially augment that knowledge.”
About Juan Masullo
Beyond this current project, Masullo’s academic career has been dedicated to studying civilian agency and collective action in violent contexts. His previous work has examined why and how communities organize to refuse to cooperate with both state and non-state actors, shedding light on potential communities have to protect themselves and foster social order. His research also focuses on the interplay between violence, public opinion and democracy.