Identity Politics | Human Rights | Foreign Policy | Illiberal Democracy | Gendered Violence
BOOK PROJECTS
Violence Against Women: Identity, Dominance, Culture
My book project examines intergroup bias among religious and partisan groups through a comparative analysis of the United States and Bangladesh. By investigating how identity-driven biases shape public attitudes toward victim-blaming and perceptions of punitive measures in cases of violence against women, my research reveals how deep social divisions can erode trust in institutions, hinder legal accountability, and exacerbate social polarization. These findings carry important implications for domestic policy, given their intersection with concerns about political extremism, social cohesion, and institutional legitimacy—all essential components of a stable democracy.
Moreover, the book’s cross-national perspective clarifies how different political and social systems can either mitigate or intensify identity-based biases in situations of violence. In the U.S., where political and religious divisions increasingly inform public discourse and policy debates, this research highlights how those cleavages shape perceptions of retributive justice. By contrasting these dynamics with those in Bangladesh—a country marked by a distinct historical, political, and religious landscape—my work provides a broader framework for understanding how identity-based biases affect attitudes toward retributive justice across varied contexts of violence against women.
Building Stability: U.S. Investment and Democratic Growth in the Indo-Pacific
This book project explores how U.S. foreign direct investment (FDI) can serve as a critical tool for enhancing political stability, economic growth, and regional security in Indo-Pacific countries, aligning with broader U.S. foreign policy objectives. The region, which includes key nations such as India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, holds significant geopolitical importance for U.S. interests. Historically, the United States has provided foreign aid in these countries to achieve developmental goals; however, this research posits that FDI—rather than aid or sanctions—may offer a more sustainable approach to fostering long-term growth, promoting democratic governance, and countering the rise of illiberal democracy.
The book proposes strategic revisions to the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy to more effectively address illiberal regimes in the region. It examines how targeted U.S. FDI can strengthen economic partnerships, reduce reliance on illiberal-state investments, and maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific—where economic growth is driven by fair competition and mutual benefits rather than coercive practices that undermine human rights. In doing so, it also addresses how authoritarian powers increasingly leverage economic investments to exert political influence, shape domestic policy outcomes, and erode democratic norms. By highlighting the potential of well-structured U.S. investments, this book underscores how democracy-supportive FDI can preserve institutional integrity, encourage accountable governance, and bolster the rule of law.
RESEARCH ARTICLES
Symoom, Tasnia. “Social Dominance, Patriarchy, and Intersectionality: A Survey Vignette Study on Attitudes towards Sexual Violence among Religious and Partisan Groups in Bangladesh.” Women’s Studies International Forum. Under R & R.
Abstract: This study investigates the attitudes toward sexual violence among different religious and partisan groups in Bangladesh, focusing on the intersectionality of social dominance, patriarchy, and gender roles. The research uses a survey vignette methodology to explore how these factors affect perceptions of perpetrator punishment and victim blaming. Using survey vignettes with 698 participants and ordered logistic regression, the study finds that religious minorities (Hindus) and politically subordinate groups (BNP supporters) are more likely to support perpetrator punishment and less likely to engage in victim-blaming than Muslims and Awami League supporters. Muslim men are significantly less likely to support punishing perpetrators and more prone to blame victims compared to Muslim women. In contrast, Hindu men and women demonstrate more substantial support for punishing perpetrators and engage in less victim-blaming. This study challenges traditional feminist perspectives by showing that gender alone does not significantly determine attitudes toward sexual violence. Instead, it emphasizes adopting the intersectionality of religion and political affiliation with gender. The findings contribute to feminist research by revealing how systemic power dynamics influence attitudes toward violence against women, with important implications for understanding how social identities shape responses to gendered violence in patriarchal and politically charged environments.
Symoom, Tasnia. “Unveiling Ethno-Racial Disparities: Understanding Non-Reporting Behavior and Police Distrust Among Minority Female Victims in the United States.” Journal of Victimology and Victim Justice. Under review.
Abstract:This article investigates the nuanced dynamics of police reporting behavior and police trust among violence against women (VAW) victims from racial and ethnic minority groups in the United States. While existing literature recognizes the disparities in police reporting and trust among majority-minority groups, this study aims to fill the gap by investigating how trust in the police varies across VAW victims of different minority groups. Drawing on data from the National Crime Victimization Survey spanning nearly three decades (1992-2020), the research uses binary survey-weighted logistic regression to investigate differences in reporting behavior among racial and ethnic minority victims. Results show that African-American women are more prone to report victimization compared to other minority groups, whereas Asian women exhibit a significantly lower tendency to report to the police. Additionally, the study examines the impact of race and ethnicity on perceptions of (1) police effectiveness, (2) police bias, and (3) offender safety. Multinomial logistic regression analysis indicates that African-American women are more likely to perceive police inefficiency and police as a danger to offenders, thereby influencing their decision not to report violence. Conversely, Asian women are less likely to mention police inefficiency and perceive offenders as unsafe from police intervention. Interestingly, the victim's race and ethnicity do not significantly affect perceptions of police bias. These findings highlight the persistent racial disparities in police reporting behavior and trust, underlining the need for further research and interventions to address these issues in the United States.
PAST PROJECTS
Master's Thesis
Symoom, Tasnia, "The Impact of Fiscal Policy on Economic Growth: Empirical Evidence from Four South Asian Countries" (2018). Masters Theses. 3556. https://thekeep.eiu.edu/theses/3556
Abstract: There is a constant debate about the effectiveness of fiscal policy on economic growth of developing countries. Policy makers in developing countries generally attempt to address socioeconomic issues such as poverty, unemployment, hunger, poor investment, and illiteracy while adjusting the levels of public spending and determining tax rates. This thesis examines the impact of fiscal policy on economic growth in four countries of South Asia. For reasons of data availability I choose four of these countries – Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka – for the period 1980 to 2016. I use the Error Correction Model (ECM) and Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model on pooled cross-section time-series data, and on panel data that can be handled by employing fixed-effects and random-effects estimators. Empirical results show that both government expenditure and tax revenue have no significant impact on real GDP growth in those South Asian countries. Moreover, real investment is strongly positively correlated with real GDP growth in these countries.