Ori Swed

Dr. Swed studies world polities and organizations in the context of peace and conflict. His current research focuses on the recent global trend of the privatization of security, with emphasis on accountability aspects. Given the rising trend of states outsourcing security—including the privatization of prison security, border security, gated communities, and even a debate on privatized peacekeeping forces—this project as not only interesting theoretically, as it challenges core assumptions in our understanding of the nation-state's monopoly on the means of violence, but also holds real implications for policymakers and scholars engaged in studying crime and security. Ori was a Lecturer at the Sociology Department at the University of Texas at Austin before joining TTU.