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Alpa Shah is a Statutory Professor of Social Anthropology at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of Souls College. Her research spans themes of revolutionary insurgency, state citizenship, terrorism, democracy, human rights, global capitalism, inequality, and poverty. Alpa's work is particularly focused on agrarian change and the precarious labor conditions faced by indigenous populations. Through immersive field research, she has documented the lives of forest-dwelling indigenous people in eastern India, specifically the Adivasis. Her recent book, 'Incarcerations: BK-16 Search Democracy India,' won the 2025 India JK Paper AutHER Award and was a finalist for the 2024 Orwell Prize. Alpa has co-authored influential works addressing caste and class inequalities in contemporary India, providing a critical view of socio-economic hierarchies. An active scholar, Alpa has published widely in top journals in anthropology and related fields, and she has received substantial funding for her research, contributing to our understanding of social transformation and the intersection of culture and political economy. Additionally, she has been involved in public engagement, producing works that elucidate the intricate socio-political realities in India.
University of Oxford • Oxford, UK
Statutory Professor in Social Anthropology, focusing on indigenous populations and socio-political issues.
London School of Economics • London, UK
Taught anthropology courses for a decade.
Goldsmiths, University of London • London, UK
Taught anthropology for eight years.
Department of Politics and International Relations - Higher Level English requirement.