Former UTEP’s political science professor and author Kathleen Staudt presented her most recent book “Border Politics in a Global Era.”
On Saturday morning, the Literality Book Shop opened its doors to receive an audience who enjoyed a comparative discussion on borders around the world and a Q&A session with Staudt.
“This book represents one of the most comprehensive ways to think about borderlands worldwide,” Staud said, “Also, this book that allows us to consider what we might have tough was the uniqueness of our borderland and how there are some similarities around the world.”
Throughout the presentation, Staudt talked about the similarity between the U.S and Mexico borderland, and the immigration issues in other countries. Staudt said that the reduction of inequalities and the creation of a fair democracy will be the solution to the problems faced.
“In the 1990’s people talked about open borders and economists celebrated these open borders, and they thought borders were going to disappear,” Staudt said, “ Now, this was a time period where global inequality was not quite as big as today.”
Her book includes chapters about comparative borderlands, public policy, trade, security and migration.
“Having the ability of moving away from a case study approach to a comparative approach, I appreciated the ability to look at inequalities around the world,” Staudt said, “It was tragic for me to learn how unequal our borderlands are here in the U.S and Mexico border, but there are policy interventions and ways to try to make this a borderland of shared prosperity.”
Dr. Staudt’s research interests have been published in over 100 journal articles and she has authored and edited 19 books nine of which focus on the U.S and Mexico border, including her book, “Violence and Activism at the Border.”
“Today more and more walls and fences and borders are built than ever before and it feels like a disease that is spreading and we have to find a vaccine, a solution to this,” said Roberto Perezdias, an attendee.
“Border Politics in a Global Era” can be found at Literarity Book Shop located at 5411 N. Mesa St.
