C.V. | Publications


Research Interests
International family law, marriage law, social regulation of families with special reference to 'British South Asians', ethnic identity, diversity and belonging, the concept of Britishness

Research Area(s)
Britain, India, Pakistan

Profile

Vishal Vora read Human Genetics at University College London prior to his Call to the Bar of England and Wales (Inner Temple) in 2007. In 2010 Vora began his doctoral research within the School of Law, SOAS, University of London. In 2016 he defended his thesis, entitled The Islamic Marriage Conundrum: Register or Recognise? The Legal Consequences of the Nikah in England and Wales.

Vora joined the Department of Law and Anthropology in 2017, and his postdoctoral research focuses on the second generation of British Hindus, their practice of citizenship, engagement with the law, and relationship to the state. Encompassing the notion of belonging and Britishness, this work will examine the politics of racism, theories of multiculturalism, and legal pluralism in practice. The nexus between these three elements is of particular importance in multicultural Britain.

Why Law & Anthropology?

The social function of law is best when it is effective; there seems little point in having laws that are not used as intended. The powerful tools available in the discipline of anthropology can help with a comprehensive examination of social interactions and 'the law', leading to more effective laws in society. This is an ambitious remit, but one that is required if there is to be any hope of understanding the serious, complex, and highly demanding matters of cultural and religious diversity, arising with the ever-present levels of super-diversity seen in multicultural Europe.

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