Michael Soules

Magical Practices and the Recruitment of Women into Rebel Groups Abstracts. Magical practices play a central role in the indoctrination and socialization processes of many rebel organizations. Qualitative scholarship has

In a new article @isq-jrnl.bsky.social, Nazli Avdan, Shelby Davis (an excellent Ph.D. student @houstonpolsci.bsky.social), and I examine the role that women play as practitioners of magic in African rebel organizations.

doi.org/10.1093/isq/...

Our latest publication with @markberlin2.bsky.social is out in @ispp-pops.bsky.social.

We examine what happens when armed groups deny responsibility for violence and find that denials can erode trust in government and shape how people feel about violence.

Read more here: doi.org/10.1111/pops...

“We have nothing to do with it”: How statements of denial by armed actors shape public perceptions and emotions Armed groups operating in conflicts around the world publish statements of denial to dissociate themselves from acts of violence. Existing research argues that armed groups publish denial statements ...

Armed groups often publish denial statements to distance themselves from violent attacks. What effects do these statements have on public perceptions?

Using a survey experiment, @ilaydaonder.bsky.social and I explore this question in this open access article! onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Thank you!!!

A Call to Arms: How Rebel Groups Choose Their Recruitment Appeals - Michael J. Soules, Mark Berlin, 2025 Why do some rebel groups mobilize around diverse grievances, while others organize around a narrow set of issues? Rebels can widen their recruitment pool by app...

Excited to see this online! @markberlin2.bsky.social and I find that radical Islamist groups are more likely to make diverse recruitment appeals because they tap into shared identity, emphasize multiple threats to Islam, and internationalize their fights.

journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Professor - Aspire Institute for Global Engagement Endowed Professor - Houston, Texas, United States Department: Political Science Salary: Commensurate with experience Description: The Department of Political Science at the University of Houston invites applications for tenured Professor for the...

We are hiring! @houstonpolsci.bsky.social is seeking an endowed professor of international relations. I am on the search committee and am happy to answer any questions!

careers.uh.edu/jobs/profess...

Thank you!!!

Cover of Escaping Justice featuring an image of barbed wire

"This rigorously researched and engagingly written book offers a compelling explanation for why some perpetrators of gross human rights violations are prosecuted and why some escape justice."

Escaping Justice by Cyanne E. Loyle, Coming Soon

#HumanRights #LawSky #Politics #BookSky

cup.org/4mrWRqz

Thanks for the shout out! I love your JCR piece about ideology and conflict duration; it’s very influential for my own work!

Empowering candidacy: how authorizing the use of campaign funds for childcare increases women’s candidacy for state legislatures Women remain underrepresented at all levels of government in the United States and face numerous barriers to political participation, one of the most significant being household and caregiving resp...

Congratulations to recent PhD graduate Shana Hardin on her new publication in Politics, Groups, and Identities: "Empowering Candidacy: How Authorizing the Use of Campaign Funds for Childcare Increases Women’s Candidacy for State Legislatures."

Read it here: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....