Curriculum Vitae
- 2021–Present: PhD Student, Institute of Zoology and UCL
- 2018–2021: MA in Anthropology, University of Ottawa
- 2013–2017: BA in Anthropology and Sociology, University of Ottawa
Research Interests
My research interests revolve around socio-ecological dynamics and the development of new interdisciplinary approaches to studying the environment. I’m particularly interested in ecological change resiliency, political ecology, conservation and species extinction, economic development, local ecological knowledge, and Indigenous rights. I am also focused on exploring new methodologies for doing research on the environment that bridge the gap between natural and social sciences. My current project on lion conservation in East Africa lies at the intersection of these various research interests.
Current Research
My current doctoral research takes place in and around Kenya's Maasai Mara, where I explore pastoralist-lion dynamics in spaces of conservation. Using new and interdisciplinary research methods (drawing from ethnography and ethology), I investigate how Maasai pastoralists and Maasai Mara lions have come to live with each other, and how that relationship has transformed with changing social, political, and ecological realities. The overall aim of my research is to understand the extent to which conservation efforts destabilise local human-animal dynamics so that we might chart a pathway for holistic approaches to conservation that view people as part of an ecosystem rather than separate to it. This PhD is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
Supervisors
- Prof. Sarah Durant, IOZ
- Dr. Emily Woodhouse, UCL
Publications
Santini, G. (2020). “Repenser la résilience en anthropologie” [Rethink Resilience in Anthropology]. Culture, 14(2), Canadian Anthropology Society.
Santini, G. (2019). “Profit ou écologie? Double contrainte et résilience Yami” [Profit or Ecology? Double-bind and Yami Resilience]. Culture, 13(2), Canadian Anthropology Society.
