Riya Raphael

Riya Raphael is a Senior Lecturer (part-time) and researcher at the Division of Gender Studies, Department of Sociology, Lund University. Her work bridges global political economy, gender studies, and ecological sociology, focusing on labor, waste, socio-economic dynamics of supply chains, and postcolonial critiques in sustainability politics. She holds a PhD from Lund University, with prior education in Political Science (Delhi University) and Global Studies (Lund University).

Education:

• Bachelor’s in Political Science, Kirori Mal College, Delhi University
• Masters in Sociology, Department of Sociology, Delhi School of Economics
• Masters in Global Studies, Lund University
• PhD in Gender Studies, Lund University

Research Interests:

• Informal recyclers and waste economies
• Postgrowth welfare systems
• Ecological sustainability and anti-colonial frameworks
• Feminist political economy

Her current project examines collaborations between waste pickers and producers under Extended Producer Responsibility frameworks.

Key Articles: Recent work includes studies on degrowth, labor autonomy in Delhi, Nordic welfare systems, and feminist methodologies. Articles often explore intersections of ecology, labor, and global inequality.

Awards:

• 2021 Lund University Thesis Prize
• 2024 SASNET Research Application Grant
• Nordic and South Asia Travel Grants

Grants/Projects: Leads the Swedish Research Council-funded project on waste picker-producer collaborations (2025–2026). Previously part of the Postgrowth Welfare Systems project (2021–2025). Actively collaborates internationally on sustainability and decolonial knowledge systems.