Dr. Dixon came to Syracuse University in January of 2007. At present his research is mainly concentrated on Latin America and the Caribbean. The main focus of his research is to develop comparative and methodological approaches for the study of social exclusion (racial and gender discrimination) in the context of international human rights, democracy and conflict resolution. This research examines how racialization, gender and other forms of social discrimination lead to human rights violations against at-risk populations and ways in which excluded communities are integrated into the fabric of democratic structures across the Americas. Other themes of his research include the social construction of national identity, social movements, the role of popular culture, i.e. film, literature and music, as concrete forms of hegemonic and counter-hegemonic discourses. Visit Dr.Dixon's personal website at