Mériam Cheikh

Mériam Cheikh is a Researcher at the National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations (INALCO), where she is affiliated with the STRIGES research group and CESSMA (Centre d'Études en Sciences Sociales sur les Mondes Africains, Américains et Asiatiques). Her work centers on anthropological investigations of moral dissent among working-class youth in Morocco, with particular focus on gender, sexualities, and state management of deviance.

Her academic trajectory includes:

• Doctorate from Free University of Brussels
• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship at University of Edinburgh

Dr. Cheikh's research critically examines how marginalized youth, especially young women, navigate social control mechanisms in urban Moroccan settings. She investigates intersections of sexuality, prostitution, and state policies through ethnographic methods, contributing to broader discourse on gender, marginality, and social resistance in the Middle East.

Her publications, including the 2020 monograph on Moroccan youth and sexuality and the 2014 edited volume on gender experiences, reveal consistent thematic focus on gender dynamics, migration, and social marginalization. These works demonstrate methodological rigor in anthropological fieldwork and contribute significantly to Middle Eastern gender studies.

Her notable recognition includes:

• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship

Information regarding student supervision and current research grants is not specified in available sources, though her Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship represents significant past research funding.

As an active member of the STRIGES research group within CESSMA, she participates in interdisciplinary social sciences research focused on African, American, and Asian societies, with particular emphasis on gender and youth dynamics in North Africa.