DPhil Student
St John's College
Thesis Title: An Ethnography of Adaptation to the Protracted Division in Cyprus.
Abstract: Critical Border Studies has brought to light that borders are not just places but practices and processes that create, maintain and reproduce them. By conducting a year-long ethnography in two border villages in Cyprus, at the rural intersections of the Republic of Cyprus, the de-facto Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, the United Nations and the British Overseas Territories administration, I demonstrate the processual condition of borders at a micro, village level. I exemplify how the core values of tight-knit village communities, such as deference to kinship, seniors, death and rituals impact border operations. Thus, I emphasise how values inform the practices through which borders are maintained, domesticated and incorporated into everyday life. I explore neglected questions around adaptation to the challenging conditions of protracted borders and propose a spatial broadening of border studies in Cyprus by moving away from Nicosia, often exceptionalised as the last divided capital in Europe.
Biography: I am an anthropologist and artist interested in borders, material culture and social life in post-conflict settings. My research focuses on the adaptation strategies of people facing protracted political challenges. Alongside research, I am committed to facilitating spaces of knowledge exchange through public engagement and research communication. I have organised and contributed to public events (lates, guided tours & exhibitions) and academic events (lectures, conferences, book launches, panels & reading sessions) for organisations including the British Museum, the Cyprus High Commission in the UK, the Barbican Centre, and the Border Criminologies. I co-founded the reading group, Critical Coffee Reading, exploring the anthropology of Cyprus and the wider region. I recently interned with the Open Innovation Team at the Department for Education, and I am currently an Editorial Intern for the American Ethnological Society. For more information, please visit my website and LinkedIn profile.
