Shannon Zimmerman

Exploring the Role and Nature of the State, Peacekeeping as worldmaking and Gender Motivated Terrorism

Out beyond Ideas of Wrongdoing and Rightdoing, there is a field. I will meet you there. ~ Rumi

About Me

I am a Lecturer in Strategic Studies at Deakin University. I received my PhD from the University of Queensland in 2019 and my MA in Conflict Resolution from Georgetown University in 2012. I consider myself a practitioner-academic, conducting both research and implementing projects.

Research

I have two areas of active research. The first focuses people-centric and state-centric conceptions of sovereignty at the international level and as enacted by humanitarian and military interventions. This includes civilian protection in the face of terrorist threats, post-colonial investigations of the extension of state authority by peacekeepers, the role of parallel deployments, and UN Police and countering violent extremism. My second research project investigates politics and misogyny, specifically terrorism in the form of attacks by involuntary celibates or ‘Incels’ and the importance of feminist foreign policy

Publications

I have published on a number of scholarly topics. These include the role of peace operations in extending state authority, the intersection between the counterterrorism and the responsibility to protect (R2P) and the emergence of misogyny based terrorism.

Teaching

I am a passionate and interactive teacher. Research is important but just as important as conveying new ideas to the next generation of worldmakers. My teaching focuses on fostering critical thinking skills and applying content to real-world and cutting-edge problems.

Works in Progress

I have several ongoing projects that stem from my research interests. These include my book, Anarchy or Tyranny? - Stabilisation Operations as Statebuilders and several interesting pieces investigating the impact of terror/counterterror on the Responsibility to Protect and on UN Policing.

image001[7012].jpg — Service

I enhance my scholarly work with service to the academic and security community. This keeps me engaged in practice and on the cutting edge of research. It also makes sure I am doing my part to maintain a vibrant academic community.