معرفی
Dr. Samantha Agarwal serves as the inaugural Changemaker Postdoctoral Fellow at American University's School of International Service, where she conducts research at the intersection of political sociology, racial inequality, and global political economy with a regional focus on India. Her ethnographic work examines ethnonationalist movements through the lens of caste-based political economies.
Her academic credentials include:
- BA in Political Science and Environmental Policy from Ohio State University
- MA in Sociology from Johns Hopkins University
- PhD in Sociology from Johns Hopkins University
Agarwal's scholarship investigates how caste inequality manifests in development projects like Special Economic Zones, Dalit political mobilization against Hindu nationalism, and the interplay between redistribution and recognition in communist-ruled Kerala. Her comparative approach reveals structural continuities in ethnonationalist strategies across South Africa and India while highlighting caste-specific dynamics in South Asian contexts.
Recent publications demonstrate consistent focus on dispossession, debt, and political agency in rural India, with increasing attention to Dalit-BJP dynamics and the long-term impacts of neoliberal infrastructure. Her work bridges political sociology, caste studies, and critical development theory through empirical rigor and theoretical innovation.
Her research has earned recognition through:
- Mellon International Research Dissertation Fellowship
- American Institute of Indian Studies Junior Research Fellowship
Agarwal's publications in Politics & Society, Journal of Agrarian Change, and Journal of Contemporary Asia establish her as a significant voice in critical Indian studies. She is scheduled to teach SISU-106 First Year Seminar: Youth Movements/Global Social Change in Spring 2025, extending her scholarly engagement to undergraduate education.
