About me

I’m a feminist urban anthropologist. My research interests include refugees, citizenship, welfare, race, ethnicity, gender, class, feminism, taxes, applied anthropology, and political economy. I practice comparative ethnography and have conducted research in the United States, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and South Sudan.

I arrived at this point in my life through a myriad of geographic, intellectual, activist, and atavistic avenues. I grew up in a small town in southern Minnesota and earned my Bachelor’s degree in English and Psychology from Luther College. From 1998 to 2000, I worked for Medica Infoteka, a local women’s NGO in Bosnia-Herzegovina, founded as a response to violence against women during the 1992-95 war. I primarily worked for Infoteka, the team that networked with other NGOs and governmental institutions, where I coordinated research on the prevalence of violence and neglect against Romani (Gypsy) women. I returned to Bosnia to conduct research for my (2004) Master’s thesis in anthropology on the status of Romani women in post-war Bosnia.

I have also worked as a case manager with refugees for the Center for New Americans in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where I supported New Americans in navigating the educational, healthcare, and welfare systems, as well as housing and childcare.

I have a family, an amazing partner, daughter and three bonus kids.

Read more about my book here.

Contact me by email at jlerickson@bsu.edu.