Dr. Soumhya Venkatesan

Biography

Soumhya Venkatesan is a Professor of Social Anthropology at the University of Manchester. She obtained her PhD in Social Anthropology from the University of Cambridge in 2002. Her research interests include the interplay of craft and development, focusing on artisanal communities in India. Venkatesan's doctoral research highlighted the paradoxes faced by Muslim weavers in South India, exploring how traditional craft producers negotiate their identity and socio-political context. One of her significant publications is 'Craft Matters: Artisans, Development and the Indian Nation' (2009). Her ongoing research delves into the agency of objects, examining rituals and the transformation of materials into divine figures, which seek to understand the relations between people and things. Venkatesan has also developed a keen interest in the ethical practices of renouncers within Hinduism and has engaged with right-wing political movements, exploring notions of freedom and agency. Her work critically reflects on the decolonizing processes within anthropology, advocating for a more inclusive examination of dominant groups and ideologies that shape contemporary society.

Research Interests