Maja Schuster

Ms. Maja Schuster is an aspiring humanitarian professional and doctoral researcher in Peace and Conflict Studies. She holds a Master’s degree in Humanitarian Action and Conflict Research from Uppsala University and is currently conducting an internship with the Swedish Red Cross in Stockholm. Her Master’s thesis, “The Humanitarian Cowboy: A Qualitative Study on the Performance of Hegemonic Masculinity by Humanitarian Staff in the Field,” is the first academic work to explore the archetype of the “humanitarian cowboy” and is currently under consideration for publication. Maja’s research interests lie at the intersection of gender, power, and violence. Her PhD project investigates how masculinity grievances and hypermasculine elite behavior contribute to political violence and democratic erosion in advanced democracies. She is particularly interested in the gendered dynamics of peace processes and the role of masculinities in shaping both conflict and humanitarian practice.