VIP Lab Fellow - Residential

Position Title & Department:

 VIP Lab Fellow - Residential; School of Peace Studies Posting #

5119

Department Description:

The Kroc School of Peace Studies trains the changemakers and peacebuilders of today and tomorrow.  Kroc is the first stand-alone school of peace in the United States. Innovation in learning and programs is at the center of what we do and who we are. We combine theory and practice not just to understand crises and world issues, but also to imagine new possibilities and develop solutions to humanity’s urgent challenges from increasing inequality and violence to climate change. At Kroc, people discover new ways of building more peaceful and socially just communities through a multidisciplinary lens and experiential learning. We look for passionate individuals who believe in the power of university learning to transform the world for the better.

University Description:

The University of San Diego, an engaged and contemporary Catholic institution, was founded by the Diocese of San Diego and the Society of the Sacred Heart in 1949. Governed by an independent board of trustees since 1972, USD remains committed to a liberal arts education grounded in the Catholic intellectual tradition and the pursuit of truth, goodness and beauty. Inspired by this centuries old tradition of Catholic higher education, the University welcomes people of all faith traditions and any, or no, religious background. The future success of USD relies on the contributions of those who seek to foster the development of engaged global citizens and an earnest confrontation of humanity’s urgent challenges.

Detailed Description:

This is an 11 month, full-time, benefit-based position with an anticipated end date of July 17, 2026. The appointment is renewable at the discretion of the University and dependent upon performance and continued funding.

All too often, efforts to limit violence are harm-producing, fragmented and inadequate. Even where solid evidence exists, policy responses to violence are often based upon simplistic analysis that is grounded in fear, bias and misperception. If people and institutions shape the language of violence, so too do they shape the narratives that reinforce structures of violence, all too often justifying force against certain people or places. This vicious cycle feeds upon itself, left unchecked it metastasizes leading to a rise in violence, in fear baiting, in unequal power structures and authoritarianism. The Violence, Inequality and Power (VIP) Lab was launched in January 2022 with the intention of advancing research, shifting conversations and fostering productive collaboration to push back against this cycle.

The VIP Lab delivers practical, actionable ideas that partners can implement to confront harmful power inequalities and reduce violence. We aim to shift power-reinforcing, securitized approaches through disseminating evidence-informed practice that is balanced, inclusive and based upon a vision of justice for all.  Our focus is on cities, at borders, in conflict zones and sites of emerging political violence. We interrogate effective practice to build peace with justice, delivering practical and actionable content that partners can advance at various levels. The VIP Lab is part of the Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice (Kroc IPJ) within the Kroc School at the University of San Diego.

Inequality is correlated with nearly all forms of violence. Yet there remains a dearth of focused analysis or reflection on this correlation. This impedes our collective capacity to sufficiently analyze violence, resulting in ineffective and often harm-reinforcing solutions. Inequalities of power can be overt, the use of state security forces to exert control over certain groups, for example. Power imbalances are also subtle, the denial of experiences of victimhood to individuals who are perceived only as perpetrators. Power dynamics become embedded in systems of interaction within communities, between individuals and across economic and political institutions in ways that are central to the shaping, prevention and narration (the story that is told) of