Jolynna Sinanan

Dr. Jolynna Sinanan is a Lecturer in Social Anthropology at The University of Manchester and an Adjunct Fellow at Western Sydney University’s Institute for Culture and Society. Her research focuses on digital media practices, regionally comparative mobilities, and gender dynamics across diverse cultural contexts, including the Asia-Pacific, Caribbean, and South Asia. She holds a PhD in Arts (Development Studies) from the University of Melbourne (2013).

Her work bridges anthropology and media studies, with a particular emphasis on ethnographic studies of social media and digital infrastructures. Key contributions include Social Media in Trinidad (2017), part of the Why We Post series, and co-authored volumes like Visualising Facebook and How the World Changed Social Media. Her current research examines mobile media and livelihoods in Nepal’s Everest tourism industry.

Dr. Sinanan’s teaching and public engagement span online courses (e.g., FutureLearn), TEDx talks, and collaborative projects like the ERC-funded Why We Post initiative. She contributes to the Australian Research Council’s ADM+S Centre, analyzing automated decision-making in Global South contexts.