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 which has led me to conduct research across the United States (but especially in the Midwest and Great Plains), 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. Besides working as professor and researcher, I have worked with NGOs in post-war Bosnia-Herzegovina, refugee resettlement agencies in the United States, with adult and kids with developmental disabilities, and even as a bookseller, server, nanny, and house painter. These past work experiences helped to reveal my path to anthropology. I also 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.