Brenda Gonzalez Ginocchio

PhD title: The Socioeconomic Dimensions of Drug Violence in Mexico

The main aim of Brenda’s research is to contribute to the explanations of how and why drug violence has escalated so intensely in Mexico since 2006. The focus will be placed on evaluating whether there is a contributing factor to the problem that originates from the social dynamics that frame the forms of violence in question. These social dimensions will be centred on the social inequalities embedded in drug trafficking in Mexico and are structured according to the following categories, poverty, socio-economic inequality and social mobility. The main hypothesis of this research is that drug-related violence, far from being an isolated conflict, is a social problem rooted in social inequalities. The differences in the social dynamics across the Mexican states could prove to be useful to explain the different levels of drug violence across the country, as it is clear by now that the increase of drug-related violence is higher in certain states than in others, and particularly in certain municipalities.

Research Questions

• What are the societal structural causes behind drug violence in Mexico?
• What is the nature of this relationship between drug violence and social inequalities?
• Why is the clustering of drug violence in certain municipalities/cities/states? What is it about these geographical zones that differ from the rest of the country?

Research Interests

• Social inequality, poverty, and social mobility.
• Drug violence, drug trafficking, and Drug Trade Organisations (DTOs).