In his research, he has examined varying roles of law and crime across different formations of the state and roles of disputes and conflicts in the formation and dissolution of federations and confederations as alternatives to centralized state law and governance. He also studies relationships among official and unofficial legal systems in situations of culture contact. He is interested in development of concepts and methods to facilitate comparative research on law and crime across Western and non-Western societies.
Regions of Interest
- Philippines
- Mexico
- Southeast Asia
Research Topics
- Human Rights
- Urban Poor
- State Formations
- Law and Crime
My research focuses on theories, processes, and discourses associated with urban poverty that develop within and across the intersections of grassroots, state, and religious and international networks.
Recently, I have studied outcomes of urban poor and NGO economic and legal approaches to human rights as well as the epidemiology of violence within Metropolitan Manila. My past research also has included the meeting of state and village law in the highlands of Oaxaca, Mexico.
