Methodology:
Behind the Project

The Research:

Two years ago, I started my research on Latin America's issues with gender-based violence and femicide. The research primarily focused on Guatemala, uncovering the stories and psychology that their gender-based violence had in connection with their civil war (1960-1996). As I continued to write and document the subject, I realized a similar gender-based epidemic existed in the U.S., the primary difference being that our issues with domestic violence had largely been silenced. The public's perception was skewed on the issue. This is what motivated me to take on this research in the U.S. and by the time my second year at CSUN had hit, another crisis had as well, that of the Covid-19 pandemic. My research then evolved into domestic violence at this time of crisis, with a strong focus on how we can start to prepare or prevent this form of violence in the future. We are in a time of strong polarization within this country, with hate-crimes, whether gender-based or racist in nature, occurring nearly every day. This violence is linked and often walks hand in hand with rising anxiety levels and aggression due to politics and crisis. This was confirmed in all of my interviews and it became evident that promoting Communications Infrastructure Theory, in order to encourage civic engagement within smaller communities, to bring people together with communal routines, resources, and dialogue, was the ideal method for many public service workers. Community and communication is a strong means to fellowship and human connection.