Magnus Fitz

Research areas

Magnus Fitz’s primary areas of research are conflict, mobilization, and hybrid actors in the Middle East, especially Yemen. He is particularly interested in how identity, masculinity, and local social dynamics shape participation in hybrid armed actors and non-state groups.

Current research

Magnus Fitz’s PhD project examines why Yemeni men join, participate in, and leave the Houthi movement. The project explores how localized constructions of identity–across tribal, religious, political, and gendered lines–shape mobilization and engagement with the group. It also examines how Houthi cultural and digital productions, such as speeches, online media, and zamil poetry, mobilize constructions of localized identity and what role these productions play in recruitment and participation.