Daniel Brinks is a true example of how our personal life experiences shape who we become and why we do what we do. I sought his counsel on how he got where he is today and what we as students can do maximize our own potential. As someone whose research focus also pertains to Latin America, I received valuable insights into the region’s affairs.
Currently, Dr. Brinks is an associate professor in the Department of Government as well as the School of Law. He serves as co-director at the Bernard and Audre Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice where he focuses on the role of law in supporting democracies in Latin America. I sat down with him to talk about life and policy work:
Originally from Argentina, Brinks was a high school student during the first years of the country’s last dictatorship. Under Videla’s regime, he recalled living in fear and witnessing large-scale violence and corruption. “The state actors felt pretty free to kill people, and the main thing that we were afraid of walking down the street at 3 o’clock in the morning coming from a club or something was meeting somebody in a uniform – not somebody that was going to rob us.” Unbeknown at the time, these experiences of living in a country that failed to protect its citizens catalyzed deep interests that he continues to explore.
At the end of 1979, Brinks moved to the United States and earned a degree in sociology from Calvin College in Michigan. He went on to attend University of Michigan School of Law where he was in the top 5% of his class. As a future JD candidate, I had to ask his secret for success, and simply put, “It takes commitment and dedication…There’s no mystery to it…One thing that drives me crazy is students who really only want to know what’s going to be on the test…I think you’ll be a more interesting human being if you study the things you are interested in, not just the things that you know will be on the bar or final exam…Do something interesting!” He suggests talking with your professors more and keeping the mindset that they are there to help advance your projects.
After graduating from law school, Brinks worked at small and large firms. With a desire to teach, however, he returned to school ten years later and earned his PhD from the University of Notre Dame. Through mentorship, he was able to dive deeper into political science research and engage the questions he had about the world. “Look around,” he said, “and find something that isn’t explained.” Brinks described this as a sort of normative, experiential process for himself, rather than a wide theoretical one. He wanted to know: What are the benefits of living in a democracy? Why is democracy eroding at the most basic level in a handful of Latin American countries, such as Venezuela and Honduras? And is this erosion a trend or is it limited to these countries?
Brinks pointed to T.H. Marshall’s theory on the disconnect of political citizenship with social and economic citizenship. He described Latin America as having made great political strides as more leaders seek to hear the discontents of the people as well as empower those vocal demands. There have been some strides in social citizenship, such as the inclusion of more marginalized groups, but the severest challenges remain in the realm of economic citizenship. Brinks said we must have full participation in the economy by all groups as well as provide safety for those that are holding the government accountable – they are the opposition, and we cannot persecute them.
In reflection, Dr. Brinks taught me that while life happens on its own, we have full control over choosing whether or not to use our abilities and our platform to do something good, something interesting. It is never too late to go back to school or start asking yourself questions. I realized conducting research and crafting policy can start from the smallest of questions, not necessarily big, attention-grabbing ones. Lastly, Dr. Brinks confirmed grim realizations but still yet the positive outlook I have for the future of Latin America. I walked away with more questions about the region than I asked and hope to explore these on my own in the near future. Stay tuned.
Learn more about Dr. Brinks and the Rapoport Center by keeping up with their projects here.
Written by: Jacquelyn Clark, current Brumley Next Generation Scholar. To see what Jacquelyn and other Scholars are up to, check out this previous post.
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