Skip to content
Marcos S. Scauso

Marcos S. Scauso

Associate Professor

Political Science , College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences

Email

msscauso@cpp.edu

Phone number

909-869-3470

Office location

94-313

Office hours

T TH | 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Additional Office Hours

Make an appointment here: Link

About Me

Academic Area

International Relations

Areas of Expertise

International Relations (theory, global politics, institutions), post-colonial and decolonial theory, Indigenous politics, intersectionality, interpretive methods, Latin America

Research Statement

My research lies at the intersection of International Relations and decolonial/pluriversal approaches from Latin America. This research agenda leads towards three parallel and interconnected concentrations. On one side, I examine the intersectional legacies of colonialism in the United States' foreign policy towards Latin America. How are issues of racism, patriarchy, sexism, and ecology related to the USA’s foreign policy in the region? On another side, I study movements that aim to overcome and/or resist these ongoing forms of oppression. How do Indigenous movements struggle against colonial legacies in Latin America? How do notions of relationality, decoloniality, and pluriversality help us to think of a world of many worlds? Finally, the study of these topics enables me to contribute to discussions on knowledge production, methodology, and power relations within Political Science. How do epistemic politics and power relations in Political Science influence the inclusivity and plurality of different methodologies? How does interpretivism offer a rigorous and systematic methodology to study colonial legacies and decolonial ways of worlding?

Academic Degrees

  • PhD in Political Science, University of California, Irvine, 2018
    Field: International Relations; Secondary Field: Political Theory
  • MA in Political Science, University of California, Irvine, 2015
  • MA in International Relations, San Francisco State University, 2012
  • BA in Sociology, National University of Argentina, Villa María, 2009


Other Academic Appointments

  •  Third World Quarterly (Academic Editor – Research Notes - Link)

  

Current Courses

  • Senior Thesis in Political Science I (PLS 4610)
  • Senior Thesis in Political Science II (PLS 4620)
  • Interpretive and Theoretical Research Methodology (PLS 3075)
  • Special Topics: International Relations Theory (PLS 4990)
  • United States Foreign Policy (PLS 3521)
  • International Political Economy (PLS 3541)
  • Introduction to International Relations (PLS 2030)
  • Latin American Governments and Politics (PLS 4440)

Publications

 

Book

--Marcos S. Scauso. Intersectional Decoloniality: Re-imagining IR and the Problem of Difference. In the “Worlding Beyond the West” series, edited by Inanna Hamati-Itaya, Arlene B. Tickner, and David Blaney. New York and London: Routledge. (2021) (Available here)

            - Reviewed in the Ethnic and Racial Studies Journal (Click Here)

            - Review in the International Studies Review Journal (Click Here)

 

Edited Book

--Marcos S. Scauso (ed.). Indomitable “Others” and Liberal Violence: Critique, Contestation, and Resistance in World Politics. Bristol University Press. (2026)

 

Peer-Reviewed

--Marcos S. Scauso, Cecelia Lynch, and Tanya Schwarz. “Training in Critical Interpretivism, Within and Beyond the Academy.” In The SAGE Handbook of the History, Philosophy and Sociology of International Relations, edited by Andreas Gofas, Inanna Hamati-Ataya, and Nicholas Onuf. This volume includes chapters by Nicholas Onuf, Brent Steele, Mustapha Kamal Pasha, Jacqui True, Richard Ned Lebow, Patrick T. Jackson, Patrick James, Arlene B. Tickner, Ole Waever, and others. Los Angeles: Sage, 2018. (Lead author) (Available here)

--Marcos S. Scauso. “Interpretivism: Definitions, Trends, and Emerging Paths.” Oxford Research Encyclopedia, International Studies. 2020. (Available here) Due to its high level of impact, this article was updated into a second edition. (2024)

--Marcos S. Scauso (lead author), Garrett FitzGerald (lead author), Arlene B. Tickner (lead author), Navnita Neheram, Chengxin Pan, Chih-yu Shih, Kosuke Shimizu. “Covid-19, Democracy, and (De)colonialities.” Journal of Democratic Theory. 2020. (Available here)

--Ariana Fernandez, Marcos S. Scauso, and Elena Stavrevska. “Avatars of colonial and liberal violences: The revelatory character of COVID-19 governance in Colombia.” Third World Quarterly. 2022. (Available Here)

--Gabriella Colello, Swapna Pathak, and Marcos S. Scauso. “Solutions for Whom and by Whom? Environmental Norms and Intersectional Decoloniality.” Journal of Environmental Philosophy. 2022. (Available Here)

--Carlotta Minnella, Swapna Pathak, and Marcos S. Scauso. “The Tension Within Norms: Agency and Risks in Pursuit of Global Climate Justice.” Global Studies Quarterly 4 (2). 2024. (Available Here)

--Scauso, Marcos S. “Decolonial Pluriversality: Unveiling Genocide, Epistemicide, and Historicide in the Foundations of the United States.” Global Studies Quarterly 5 (2). 2025. (Available Here)

 

Book Chapters

--Marcos S. Scauso. “Indianismo and Decoloniality: Voices of Resistance.” In Religious Activism in the Global Economy: Promoting, Reforming, or Resisting Neoliberal Globalization? edited by Peter Smith and Sabine Dreher, 269-286. London and New York: Rowman & Littlefield International, 2016. (Available here)

--Marcos S. Scauso. “Researching within the Instability of Meaning: Decolonial Voices and Practices.” In Tactical Constructivism: Expressing Method in International Relations, edited by Brent J. Steele, Harry D. Gould, and Oliver Kessler, 2018. (Available here)

--Marcos S. Scauso. “Neoliberalism Vs. D.E.I.: the market and profit-driven limitations of inclusivity.” In Teaching Political Science and International Relations for Early Career Instructors, Ed. Michael Murphy and Misbah Hyder. Palgrave Macmillan Press, 2024. (Available Here)

--Marcos S. Scauso. “Concluding Thoughts: Denouncing Liberalisms, Worlding Resistances, and Sustaining Tensions for a ‘Weak’ Community in Difference.” In Indomitable ‘Others’ and Liberal Violences: Critique, Contestation, and Resistance in World Politics. Ed., Marcos S Scauso. Bristol University Press. (2026)

 

Academic Blogs

--Marcos S. Scauso. “Intersectional Decoloniality: Listening to Other “Others.” E-International Relations, 2021: https://www.e-ir.info/2021/06/04/intersectional-decoloniality-listening-to-the-other-others/

 

Documentaries

--Marcos S. Scauso, Natalia Orpianesi, Juan Manuel Scocozza, Luciana Arguello, Lucas Vizueta, Maria Eugenia Fiorenza, directors. “Pan y Tizas: La Educación en Decadencia”. Universidad Nacional de Villa María, Argentina. (Links: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3)

--Lucrecia Brunis, Rebeca Cena, Juan Fernández, Jesica Mariotta, Cecelia Quevedo, Marcos S. Scauso, Lucas Vizueta, directors. “Golondrinas: un vuelo necesario”. Universidad Nacional de Villa María, Argentina. (Link) 

 

In Progress

--Marcos S. Scauso. Desires of Domination: Genocide, Epistemicide, and Historicide in the Foundations of the U.S. Foreign Policy towards Latin America. (Book in progress)

--Liza Taylor, Kathleen Cole, Kaye Usry, Brian Lovato, and Marcos S. Scauso. “Educating for Multiracial Democracy.” (Book proposal accepted)

--Marcos S. Scauso. “The Neoliberal Academe: Epistemicide, Inequity, and Historicide” in “Educating for Multiracial Democracy”, ed. Liza Taylor, Kathleen Cole, Kaye Usry, Brian Lovato, and Marcos S. Scauso. (Accepted with minor revisions)

--Amaya Querejazu and Marcos S. Scauso. “Relaciones (Internacionales) Pluriversales y Relacionales desde América Latina.” In “Pensamiento político internacional latinoamericano en el siglo XXI.” Serie FORO de FLACSO, Ecuador.(Book chapter accepted)

--Marcos Scauso. “Essentialist Biases in IR and Latin American Teachings: Epistemicide and Othering… But Also Resistance and Reflexivity.” Special issue: “Latin America in the transition towards a new world order.”  Raul Salgado Espinoza and Amaya Querejazu Escobari eds. International Relations Journal. (Article proposal accepted)

--Marcos S. Scauso, Amaya Querejazu, Artemis P. O’reilly-Hahn. “Pluriversal hopes: The inevitability of many worlds and the confrontation of one-worlding disillusion, violence, and arbitrariness.” (Article in progress)