Smita Lahiri

Smita Lahiri is a Senior Lecturer in Anthropology and Political Science at the University of New Hampshire. Her ethnographic research examines nationalism and cultural identity in South and Southeast Asia.

Professor Lahiri's work focuses on how collective cultural imagination shapes national identity, with long-term fieldwork in communities near Mt. Banahaw in the Philippines. She investigates how local landscapes become incorporated into national narratives and religious imaginaries through place-based attachments.

Her current research expands to urban India, exploring multilingual media, financial inclusion initiatives, and everyday economics among Delhi residents. This work contributes to understanding 'everyday nationalism' in rapidly changing urban environments.