I am a sociologist of culture, immigration, and religion. My work seeks to illuminate how local communities impact the acculturation and integration of new arrivals. Working from a cultural orientation and qualitative methodology, I investigate local communities where shared logics of identity and acculturation are negotiated and maintained through regular ritual practices. My research illuminates that belonging to a group – whether national, ethnic, or religious – is shaped and cultivated through a local setting, and that if we want to understand how acculturation happens, we can start with the impact that local communities make. The aim of my teaching and research is to uncover new ways of thinking about human flourishing in a dynamic world where groups of people are constantly on the move.
