New research:

Under construction

Cemeteries and crematoria as public spaces of belonging in Europe

How are cemeteries and crematoria managed and used? And, what does this tell us about everyday lived experiences and negotiations of urban diversity, and social inclusion and exclusion?

Between 2019-2022, I was part of a HERA-funded research project which examines cemeteries and crematoria as public spaces of social inclusion, exclusion and integration. 

Cemeteries are shared spaces. On the one hand, they are places centering on common experiences of loss. On the other hand, they can also be used as public parks. In addition, cemeteries and crematoria are places of confluence and everyday encounter, where conflicts can arise or communities of shared understandings can emerge.

In the eye of the typhoon: Aspirations of Buddhists and Catholics in turbulent Hong Kong

Following research from 2012-2014, in my PhD dissertation I argue that life in cities is not only shaped by religious practices and symbols, but equally by religious orientations, which provide a lens through which residents see and evaluate the complex and at times unsettling urban environment.

To that end, I investigatekd the experiences of Hong Kong middle class Buddhists (primarily Theravāda Buddhists) and Catholics concerning tensions between the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) post-1997 Handover.

These tensions culminated in the so-called Umbrella Movement, during which an estimated 1.2 million people occupied the streets of urban Hong Kong from late September to mid-December 2014.