Robbie Peters

Robbie Peters is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Sydney, affiliated with the Sydney Southeast Asia Centre. His research focuses on the cultural practices of Southeast Asian urban poor populations, examining how marginalized groups like scrap pickers, pedicab drivers, and low-income migrants shape urban dynamics. He explores political violence, economic inequality, and informal economies in cities such as Surabaya and Ho Chi Minh City. His work includes studies on urban renewal, conditional cash transfer programs, and the socio-political dimensions of death and memorialization. Peters has authored books and articles in journals like Current Anthropology and International Journal of Urban and Regional Research.

Teaching includes courses on Southeast Asian anthropology, development studies, and ethnographic research methods. Current research projects involve water insecurity in Dhaka, queer identity in post-socialist Vietnam, and renewable energy transitions in Indigenous Australian communities. He has secured grants for studies on Indonesia's informal transport sectors and urban migration patterns.

Peters' work bridges anthropology with urban studies, emphasizing the voices of marginalized urban populations to challenge top-down narratives of city development. His recent scholarship addresses pandemic impacts on cities, welfare systems, and the socio-cultural dimensions of infrastructure in postcolonial contexts.