Specialties

Nepal, Brahmans, hierachy, religion, secularism, education, nationalism

My current research is situated within the context of Nepal’s ongoing transition from Hindu monarchy to secular democracy. Specifically, I focus on the ways in which Brahmans, as a historically privileged group due to their high caste status, are negotiating new ideas of citizenship that integrate Hinduism and secularism. The particular ethnographic settings in which I work include emerging Hindu festivals and a private Brahman-run school. For my MA in Anthropology, completed at Biola University, I conducted an ethnographic research project on internationalism at Disneyland, culminating in a thesis entitled “The Happiest Place on Earth? Presentations and Perceptions of Disneyland.” For my BA in History at the University of Baltimore, I wrote an honors thesis on the history of Deaf education in India and Nepal.