Risa Kitagawa

Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Affairs; Faculty Affiliate, Global Resilience Institute; Faculty Affiliate, Global Asian Studies Program
Risa Kitagawa is a political scientist specializing in transitional justice, human rights, and legacies of conflict. She examines the role of governments and non-state actors in addressing large-scale political violence and the impact of transitional justice on public opinion. Her research spans diverse countries in East Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Central America and appears in outlets such as World Politics, Journal of Conflict Resolution, and Conflict Management and Peace Science.
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Education
PhD, Political Science
Stanford University
BA, International Relations and French
New York University -
Contact
617.373.4406 r.kitagawa@northeastern.edu Personal Website -
Address
927 Renaissance Park
360 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02115 -
Office Hours
Monday 2pm-3pm (walk-ins)
Thursday 4:30pm-5:30pm (by appointment)
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Globalization and International Affairs
INTL 1101
Offers an interdisciplinary approach to analyzing global/international affairs. Examines the politics, economics, culture, and history of current international issues through lectures, guest lectures, film, case studies, and readings across the disciplines.
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Introduction to Comparative Politics
POLS 1155
Presents a comparative study of political organization and behavior in a range of countries beyond the United States. Topics includes political culture, political economy, governing institutions, leadership, and political participation.
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Revolution, Civil War, and Insurrection
INTL 3430
Explores various types of conflict settlements and their implications for peace and reconciliation. Why do civil wars break out in some places but not others? What does it take to start a revolution? Why do some conflicts last decades, and what can be done to mitigate their costs? Examines why civil conflicts begin, how they are fought, and how they end. Substantive topics include strategies of insurgency and counterinsurgency; the role of ethnicity, religion, and gender; and the relationship between economic factors and conflict. Students leverage fundamental concepts and theories in comparative politics to analyze civil conflicts in a wide range of country contexts.
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Seminar in Comparative Politics
POLS 7206
Focuses on major research paradigms within comparative politics, including political culture, structuralism, and rational choice. Examines major research fields in the discipline, including democratization, nationalism, ethnic politics, political economy, and political parties.

Advanced Writing for Prelaw
ENGW 3311
Introduces students to legal reasoning and to the contexts, purposes, genres, audiences, and styles of legal writing. Emphasizes the role of writing and argument in U.S. legal culture. Using strategies drawn from rhetorical theory and criticism, students examine briefs, memoranda, opinions, and other legal texts to identify and describe techniques of analysis and persuasion. In a workshop setting, offers students an opportunity to evaluate a wide variety of sources and develop expertise in audience analysis, critical research, peer review, and revision.