Dr. Elizabeth Velásquez Estrada

Biography

Elizabeth Velásquez Estrada earned her M.A. in 2011 and Ph.D. in 2017 in Anthropology from the University of Texas at Austin. Growing up in a working-class neighborhood in El Salvador during the Civil War, which left 75,000 dead and caused thousands to flee, shaped her experiences and focus as a scholar and activist. Her scholarly work aims to produce knowledge that supports the development of holistic and substantial peace. She has published in 'Social Justice' and has co-authored an article for 'Cultural Anthropology'. Elizabeth's research has been supported by various organizations including the National Science Foundation and the Inter-American Foundation's Grassroots Development Fellowship. Her dissertation proposal received funding from the Social Science Research Council's Dissertation Proposal Development Fellowship focusing on Gender Justice in the Era of Human Rights. Elizabeth's current work includes a book titled 'Intersectional Justice Denied: Negative Peace Persisting Violence Post-Peace Accords El Salvador', based on multi-sited ethnographic research conducted over half a year. The book examines the paradox faced by Salvadoran youth gang members who are both purveyors of violence and peacemakers, while exploring the conflicting politics of solidarity among women relatives of gang members. Elizabeth is also a member of a collective of activist feminist scholars and is co-editing a volume entitled 'Fugitive Anthropology', which focuses on the experiences of racialized women and gender non-conforming individuals in research.

Research Interests