TRL – the Transnational Research Laboratory builds upon the work of Jeffrey H. Cohen, professor of anthropology at Ohio State University (left in the photo above) and includes students, former students and associates from around the globe. Our investigations are founded in anthropology and focus on transnational issues that include:
- Migration and remittance practices (including the connections between culture and physiology in migration outcomes)
- Development (including access to and management of resources)
- Food ways, nutrition and diets (including the economics of changing food practices).
Team members work in Wuhan, China; Riace and Sicily, Italy; Oaxaca, Mexico; Madre de Dios, Peru; Johannesburg, South Africa; Western Turkey; and the United States with support of the National Science Foundation, National Geographic Society and Fulbright program as well as several internal Ohio State program including the Mershon Center, the Coca Cola Critical Research Grants and departmental funding.
Photograph by Natalia Zotova
Growing in importance is our dedication to work that addresses social inequalities and advances social justice. We are working hard to established new methodologies, including the co-production of knowledge, in our research and focusing on projects and issues that address injustice and bring new voices into our field. Most importantly, this effort includes research with the Bhutanese community of central Ohio (BCCO) to develop a series of interventions that will help community members bridge the digital divide and access resources, including resources to mitigate Covid-19.
To read more about our lab team members and their research, visit the transnational research page.