New Assistant Professor Gabriella Levy received two awards at the American Political Science Association 2024 annual meeting in Philadelphia. Her Ph.D. dissertation “Variation in Individuals’ Responses to Violence Against Civilians” was completed at Duke University in 2023. She was awarded the APSA Human Rights Section 2024 Best Dissertation Award and Honorable Mention for the APSA Political Psychology Section 2024 Best Dissertation Award.
In the words of the Human Rights Section award committee: "In a clearly written, well-rounded, and nuanced discussion, Gabriella Levy's dissertation seeks to explain why people are tolerant of human rights violations carried out by the side of a conflict they support while simultaneously trying to hold onto moral norms. Drawing from the literature of both political psychology and behavioral economics, Levy focuses on moral-, identity-, and self-interest-based reasons for how individuals respond to civilian targeting during war. Her work employs a unique multi-method approach that incorporates large-scale survey data, survey work, qualitative interviews, and archival research to discuss this timely and relevant question. The dissertation investigates the conditions under which individuals condemn or continue to support violence against civilians and those who perpetrate such abuse. By applying moral psychology to civil conflict, with Colombia as a case study, Levy explains how people make relative judgments about the ethics of violence and its perpetrators.
Excellent job Prof. Levy and welcome to the UW Political Science Department! Please link here for publication information.