A professor of anthropology at the American University of Sharjah and the author of "Impossible Citizens: Dubai's Indian Diaspora" and "Teach for Arabia: American Universities, Liberalism, and Transnational Qatar," Neha Vora talks about her experience living in the United Arab Emirates, the influence of South Asian communities in Dubai, the concept of citizenship beyond legal definitions, and the evolving diaspora dynamics in the Gulf. The conversation touches on the impact of American university branch campuses in the region and their long-term effects on citizenship and community.
00:00 Introduction
00:30 Living in the UAE: An Anthropologist's Perspective
01:31 Exploring the Book "Impossible Citizens: Dubai's Indian Diaspora"
01:52 Dubai: A South Asian City?
03:39 Community vs. Citizenship in the Gulf
06:39 Expat vs. Migrant Worker: Defining Terms
11:24 Researching South Asian Diaspora in Dubai
21:47 Citizenship and Belonging: A Complex Relationship
26:40 The Gulf as a Fluid Space
28:57 Introducing "Teach for Arabia" and Critiques of Branch Campuses
33:29 Impact on Citizenship and Society
42:14 Generational Perspectives in the Gulf
48:32 Retirement and Residency Changes
52:06 Current Research Focus: Stray Animal Care
53:30 Final Thoughts
Neha Vora is Professor of Anthropology in the Department of International Studies at the American University of Sharjah in the UAE. She received her PhD in anthropology and gender studies at University of California, Irvine. Her interdisciplinary research and teaching interests include diasporas and migration, citizenship, globalized higher education, gender, liberalism, political economy, and human-nonhuman encounters, primarily in the Arabian Peninsula region. She is the author of "Impossible Citizens: Dubai’s Indian Diaspora" (Duke University Press, 2013) and "Teach for Arabia: American Universities, Liberalism, and Transnational Qatar"
Connect with Neha Vora 👉 https://twitter.com/nativeinformant
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