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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 Introduction00:30 Living in the UAE: An Anthropologist's Perspective01:31 Exploring the Book "Impossible Citizens: Dubai's Indian Diaspora" 01:52 Dubai: A South Asian City?03:39 Community vs. Citizenship in the Gulf06:39 Expat vs. Migrant Worker: Defining Terms11:24 Researching South Asian Diaspora in Dubai21:47 Citizenship and Belonging: A Complex Relationship26:40 The Gulf as a Fluid Space28:57 Introducing "Teach for Arabia" and Critiques of Branch Campuses33:29 Impact on Citizenship and Society42:14 Generational Perspectives in the Gulf48:32 Retirement and Residency Changes52:06 Current Research Focus: Stray Animal Care53:30 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
Neha Vora‘s Impossible Citizens: Dubai’s Indian Diaspora (Duke University Press, 2013) is a wonderfully rich and engaging account of middle class Indians who live and work, supposedly temporarily, in Dubai. Through an analysis of these perpetual outsiders, that are crucial to the Emirati economy, Vora sheds new light on our understanding of citizenship, belonging and Dubai itself. In the finest tradition of anthropology, the book is simultaneously minutely detailed in its descriptions and global in its analytical reach, opening up new ways of thinking about migrants in the contemporary world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Neha Vora‘s Impossible Citizens: Dubai’s Indian Diaspora (Duke University Press, 2013) is a wonderfully rich and engaging account of middle class Indians who live and work, supposedly temporarily, in Dubai. Through an analysis of these perpetual outsiders, that are crucial to the Emirati economy, Vora sheds new light on our understanding of citizenship, belonging and Dubai itself. In the finest tradition of anthropology, the book is simultaneously minutely detailed in its descriptions and global in its analytical reach, opening up new ways of thinking about migrants in the contemporary world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Neha Vora‘s Impossible Citizens: Dubai’s Indian Diaspora (Duke University Press, 2013) is a wonderfully rich and engaging account of middle class Indians who live and work, supposedly temporarily, in Dubai. Through an analysis of these perpetual outsiders, that are crucial to the Emirati economy, Vora sheds new light on our understanding of citizenship, belonging and Dubai itself. In the finest tradition of anthropology, the book is simultaneously minutely detailed in its descriptions and global in its analytical reach, opening up new ways of thinking about migrants in the contemporary world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Neha Vora‘s Impossible Citizens: Dubai’s Indian Diaspora (Duke University Press, 2013) is a wonderfully rich and engaging account of middle class Indians who live and work, supposedly temporarily, in Dubai. Through an analysis of these perpetual outsiders, that are crucial to the Emirati economy, Vora sheds new light on our understanding of citizenship, belonging and Dubai itself. In the finest tradition of anthropology, the book is simultaneously minutely detailed in its descriptions and global in its analytical reach, opening up new ways of thinking about migrants in the contemporary world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Neha Vora‘s Impossible Citizens: Dubai’s Indian Diaspora (Duke University Press, 2013) is a wonderfully rich and engaging account of middle class Indians who live and work, supposedly temporarily, in Dubai. Through an analysis of these perpetual outsiders, that are crucial to the Emirati economy, Vora sheds new light on our understanding of citizenship, belonging and Dubai itself. In the finest tradition of anthropology, the book is simultaneously minutely detailed in its descriptions and global in its analytical reach, opening up new ways of thinking about migrants in the contemporary world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices