Viola Castellano

Dr. Viola Castellano is a Senior Research Associate in the Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology at the University of Bayreuth, Germany. Her research focuses on migration and border policies, welfare systems, racialization, and advocacy practices. She holds a PhD in Anthropology and Epistemology of Complexity from the University of Bergamo (2014) and has held positions including Adjunct Professor at the University of Bologna (2014-2021) and Post-doctoral Fellow at the Brazilian Center for Analysis and Planning (2019-2021).

Her current DFG-funded project examines Gambian returnees as knowledge producers on border regimes. Key research themes include transnational mobility, EU border externalization, and the intersection of racialization in welfare systems. Her work critiques institutional policies through ethnographic methods, emphasizing marginalized voices in advocacy and policymaking.

• Education: BA (2006-2009) and MA (2003-2006) in Anthropology from University of Bologna and Ca’ Foscari Venice.
• Recent grants: DFG-funded project on Gambian returnees.
• Key publications span 2014–2025, focusing on migration, child welfare systems, and racial disparities in policy.
• Led the 'Anthropology of Global Inequalities' research group at Bayreuth.