Street-Level Bureaucrats amid wars and political violence: Education professionals in Ukrainian regions occupied by Russia

• Grant number: 24/13950-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Start date: January 27, 2025
• End date: April 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Political Science
• Principal Investigator: Gabriela Spanghero Lotta
• Grantee: Vicente Giaccaglini Ferraro Junior
• Supervisor: Gwendolyn Sasse
• Host Institution: Escola de Administração de Empresas de São Paulo (EAESP). Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Centre For East European And International Studies, Germany
• Associated to the scholarship: 23/01522-2 - How Armed Conflicts and Territorial Disputes Impact Street-Level Bureaucracy: The Fronts of the Russian Occupation in Ukraine, BP.PD

Abstract

In recent decades, various studies in Political Science and Public Administration have analyzed the state from a bottom-up approach, focusing on state employees who interact directly with the civilian population-the so-called "street-level bureaucrats" (SLBs). However, the role of SLBs in dysfunctional contexts, such as armed conflicts, territorial disputes, crises, and violence, remains underexplored. This project aims to address this gap by identifying how conflicts impact the work of street-level bureaucrats and the strategies they develop to navigate the adversities of such contexts. To this end, I will conduct a case study on the war in Ukraine, specifically examining how teachers and educators responded to the Russian invasion in the regions of Kherson and Kharkiv. Both regions experienced several months of military occupation throughout 2022 and were subsequently partially liberated by the Ukrainian army. I aim to employ two main research methods: data collection through in-depth interviews with SLBs and citizens who lived through the occupation period, and Qualitative Content Analysis of the interviews. The research internship abroad will be crucial for refining questionnaires, research methods, and data analysis; establishing contact with intermediary organizations and scholars who can facilitate access to respondents; and fostering academic collaborations with researchers who have similar research interests. The project is expected to contribute theoretically and empirically to the understanding of SLB performance in contexts of armed conflict, territorial disputes and violence.