
Amit Kaushik

AMIT KAUSHIK
ANTHROPOLOGIST
Socio-Cultural and Environmental Anthropology, Interdisciplinary Research, Education, Science Communication
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Explore. Connect. Transform.
I am an environmental anthropologist and conservation social scientist at the University of Georgia, specializing in human–wildlife relations, political ecology, and multispecies ethnography in South Asia. My dissertation examines how conservation science, caste hierarchies, and species politics co-produce ecological and social landscapes in Central India, with a focus on the social and ecological consequences of big cats' reintroduction. Through long-term ethnographic fieldwork and multi-sited research, I analyze conservation as a form of governance that shapes land use, livelihoods, and social difference.
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Drawing on political ecology, anthropology of caste, and human–animal studies, my work conceptualizes humans and nonhuman species as entangled in socio-ecological assemblages produced through historical processes of development, displacement, and environmental policy. I am particularly interested in the temporalities of conservation (waiting, uncertainty, and deferral), and how these are experienced by Dalit and Adivasi communities in and around protected areas.
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I engage participatory and multimedia methods, including collaborative mapping, photovoice, ethnographic film, and audio storytelling, to translate anthropological insights to diverse audiences. I am also the founder of the Wolf Conservation Initiative, which advances research and conservation of wolves and grassland ecosystems across South Asia.
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When I am not conducting fieldwork or writing, I enjoy producing short documentaries, listening to music/podcasts, and exploring different landscapes, both in person and through media.
