Lee Ann Fujii Explained

Lee Ann Fujii (3 January 1962 - 2 March 2018) was an American political scientist, author, and professor. Born to American parents of Japanese descent, who had met when they were interned during World War II, her family’s history gave her first-hand experiences in the world of political violence, and her research on the subject of violence, race, and ethnicity are held in high esteem within the academic community. Fujii graduated from Reed College in Portland, Oregon with a BA in Music, and then worked in the acting and tech industry in San Francisco before pursuing her master's degree.^[1] She graduated with an MA in International Relations from San Francisco State University in 2001, with a thesis on the Rwandan Genocide.

Fuji studied complex, multi-layered cases of political violence, especially the genocide in Rwanda. She wrote articles about the diffusion of a genodical norm,^[2] as well as the power of local ties for political participation.^[3] Her first published book analyzed why some people participated in mass killings and others did not.^[4] Her careful ethnographic interpretive approach provide examples for how political scientists can interpret testimonies of war and violence^[5] and reflect upon research ethics while conducting fieldwork.^[6]

Before her sudden death, Fujii was working on another book, Show Time: The Logic and Power of Violent Display.^[7] Other scholars of political violence helped publish the work,^[8] and wrote about her contributions to the study of genocides,^[9] civil wars,^[10] and political violence.^[11]

Notes and References

1. Reed College. 2018. “Lee Ann Fujii ’84.” Reed Magazine, 2018. https://www.reed.edu/reed-magazine/in-memoriam/obituaries/2018/lee-ann-fujii-84.html.
2. Fujii . Lee Ann . March 2004 . Transforming the moral landscape: the diffusion of a genocidal norm in Rwanda . Journal of Genocide Research . en . 6 . 1 . 99–114 . 10.1080/1462352042000194737 . 1462-3528.
3. Fujii . Lee Ann . 2008-09-18 . The Power of Local Ties: Popular Participation in the Rwandan Genocide . Security Studies . en . 17 . 3 . 568–597 . 10.1080/09636410802319578 . 0963-6412.
4. Book: Fujii, Lee Ann . Killing Neighbors: Webs of Violence in Rwanda . 2009 . Cornell University Press . 978-0-8014-4705-1 . 10.7591/j.ctt7z7s5 .
5. Fujii . Lee Ann . March 2010 . Shades of truth and lies: Interpreting testimonies of war and violence . Journal of Peace Research . en . 47 . 2 . 231–241 . 10.1177/0022343309353097 . 0022-3433.
6. Fujii . Lee Ann . October 2012 . Research Ethics 101: Dilemmas and Responsibilities . PS: Political Science & Politics . en . 45 . 4 . 717–723 . 10.1017/S1049096512000819 . 1049-0965.
7. Book: Fujii . Lee Ann . Show Time: The Logic and Power of Violent Display . Wood . Elisabeth Jean . 2021 . Cornell University Press . 978-1-5017-5854-6 . 10.7591/j.ctv1ffpcwm .
8. Wood . Elisabeth Jean . April 2022 . The contributions of Fujii's Show Time to scholarly understanding of political violence . Violence . en . 3 . 1 . 114–117 . 10.1177/26330024221087090 . 2633-0024.
9. Vidal . Claudine . April 2022 . Lee Ann Fujii's investigations into the Tutsi genocide in Rwanda . Violence . en . 3 . 1 . 105–108 . 10.1177/26330024221087077 . 2633-0024.
10. Shesterinina . Anastasia . 2023-07-03 . Humanising Political Violence: Lee Ann Fujii's Legacies for Civil War Studies . Civil Wars . en . 25 . 2–3 . 577–588 . 10.1080/13698249.2023.2253050 . 1369-8249.
11. Straus . Scott . April 2022 . Introduction to the Special Section on Lee Ann Fujii's Show Time . Violence . en . 3 . 1 . 100–104 . 10.1177/26330024221102194 . 2633-0024.