I am a Ph.D. student in the Department of Government studying comparative politics. My research examines the politics of socioeconomic precarity, with a focus on informal economies and crime victimization. I study these topics primarily within the context of Latin America and, secondarily, the United States. My work typically employs a mixed-methods approach.
Prior to Harvard, I conducted research at the Urban Institute on crime prevention and victim services in the U.S. and Mexico. I received a BA in political science from Boston College, where I was a Gabelli Presidential Scholar.
Contact
jfording@g.harvard.edu
1737 Cambridge Street, Cambridge
Subfields
Comparative Politics
Academic Interests
Civil Society and Social Movements | Gender | Human Rights | Migration | Non-governmental Organizations | Parties, Campaigns & Elections | Political Economy & Development | Public Policy | Race & Ethnicity | Social Policy & the Welfare State | State-Society Relations | State & Local Politics | Voter Behavior
Research Methods
Historical Methods | Qualitative Methods | Quantitative Methods | Surveys
Geographic Regions of Study
Latin America | United States