RESEARCH

My research examines how marginalised urban coastal communities navigate state relationships and environmental change in rapidly urbanising contexts. I use visual ethnography and participatory methods to understand the lived experience of informality in the Global South-East.

Current Research Projects

Landscape of Informality (Dissertation Research, 2017-2025)

How does the relationship with the state define the lived experience of informality?

This comparative ethnographic study examines urban fishing communities of Ga-Mashie (Accra, Ghana) and Kochi (Kerala, India) to understand how urban informality is produced and experienced at the urban-ocean interface. Using photovoice and participatory mapping, I document how these communities navigate structural violence, spatial boundaries, and climate vulnerability while maintaining distinct cultural identities.

Key findings:

  • Developed a new theoretical framework for understanding informality through state-society relationships. 
  • Documented climate adaptation strategies in urban coastal fisher communities.
  • Created a participatory visual archive with community members

 

Status: Dissertation Defended April 2025; developing into a monograph.

PI: Kimberly Noronha, PhD, City & Regional Planning, Weitzman School of Design, University of Pennsylvania
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Kerala Maritime Communities (2023-present)

Preserving Cultural Heritage in a Changing Ocean

As an ethnographer on this interdisciplinary team led by Prof. Thomas Tartaron, I conducted oral histories with women from fisher communities in Kochi. We document traditional ecological knowledge, analyse the impacts of industrial fishing and climate change, and explore how urban development threatens maritime livelihoods. 

My role:

  • Ethnographer for urban fisher communities in Kochi
  • Analyse socio-economic networks and urban planning impacts
  • Develop policy recommendations for marine spatial planning.

Partners: Mahatma Gandhi University (Kottayam), Kerala Council for Historical Research (Thiruvananthapuram)

Funding: Penn Global Research and Engagement Grant Program.

PI: Prof. Thomas F. Tartaron, Chair, Art & Archaeology of the Mediterranean World Graduate Group, University of Pennsylvania.

Research Methods & Innovation

Photovoice Methodology

I pioneered remote photovoice techniques during the COVID-19 pandemic, enabling participants in Ghana and India to document their experiences despite travel restrictions. This method centres community voices and creates collaborative knowledge about urban inequality

Photograph: Kochi, Kerala (May 2022)