Dr. Karen Sykes

Biography

Karen Sykes is a professor of Anthropology at the University of Manchester. Her research primarily focuses on the moral economy, social reconstruction theories, and the connections between aesthetics, ethics, and intergenerational relations. She has published significant works including "Arguing Anthropology: Critical Introduction to Theories of Gift Exchange" (Routledge 2005) and "Ethnographies of Moral Reason: Living Paradoxes in a Global Age" (Palgrave 2008). Sykes has conducted extensive research in Oceania, particularly in Papua New Guinea and North Queensland, exploring how transnational kin relations are maintained through financial means amid rising costs of life-cycle rituals. Her projects delve into aging populations and how families navigate social services while adhering to transnational moral economies. She has held various visiting and external academic positions, including roles at Australian National University and Clare Hall, Cambridge. Sykes is actively engaged in understanding the values that inform moral reasoning within diverse populations and contributes to informative policy dialogues on aging and cultural economy within the scope of UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Research Interests

Experience