There has been a longstanding belief from both academics and the public that the goal of historical preservation and conservation is to maintain a site’s authenticity. But what happens when that aim comes into direct conflict with the needs of its visitors?

In this episode, Boowa Zarcone, Museum and Heritage Studies MLitt candidate, challenges the presumed incompatibility between authenticity and accessibility. Drawing on the work and experiences of disabled advocates—most notably Alexa Vaughn, a deaf urban landscape architect—Boowa opens up new ways of thinking about inclusive design in heritage spaces. This episode invites listeners to consider: What does it really mean to preserve the past for everyone?

Further Readings

Alexa Vaughn. “DeafScape: Applying DeafSpace to Landscape.” GroundUp Journal 7 (2018): web. https://www.designwithdisabledpeoplenow.com/deafscape.

American Academy in Rome. “Alexa Vaughn.” Rome Prize Fellows. 2022. https://aarome.org/people/rome-prize-fellows/alexa-vaughn.

Accessible practices in museum & heritage settings:

Alison F. Eardley & Vanessa E. Jones (editors). The Museum Accessibility Spectrum: Re-imagining Access and Inclusion(1st ed.). 2025. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003382713.

Carola Gatto, et al. “Enhancing Accessibility of Cultural Heritage: Extended Reality and Tactile Prints for an Inclusive Experience of the Madonna Dell’Itri Church in Nociglia.” Extended Reality: International Conference 2 (2023): 146-159. https://doi-org.ezproxy.st-andrews.ac.uk/10.1007/978-3-031-43404-4_10.

Elina Vikmane, Maija Ņikitina, Laura Brutāne, & Lote Katrīna Cērpa. “Multisensory Approach to Museum Accessibility and Experience Enhancement.” Culture Crossroads 25 (2024): 21–32. https://doi.org/10.55877/cc.vol25.503.

Accessible design in urban landscapes:

Albertina Pretto. “A study on accessibility in an Old Italian City: when the past is worth more than the present.” Disability & Society 37, vol. 3 (2020): 496-521. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2020.1829552.

Emily Yates. “‘People aren’t disabled, their city is’: inside Europe’s most accessible city.” The Guardian. May 28, 2019. https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/may/28/people-arent-disabled-their-city-is-inside-europes-most-accessible-city.

Rosemarie Ankre & Sandra Wall-Reinius. “Nature for Everyone? Planning Perspectives on Accessibility, Disability and Participation in the Swedish Outdoors.” Planning Practice & Research 39, vol. 5 (2024): 793–812. https://doi-org.ezproxy.st-andrews.ac.uk/10.1080/02697459.2024.2358281.

How does a group's identity change if it is subject to two vastly different conditions? How has Sahrawi identity developed in exile and under occupation? In this episode, Maarten Weinrich, a postgraduate student in Strategic Studies with a background in conflict transformation and peacekeeping research, explores how decades of conflict, exile, and occupation have led tothe development of two increasingly diverging understandings and expressions of Sahrawi identity, presenting novel challenges to Sahrawi activism. He suggests that while "being Sahrawi" remains a fundamentally political expression in exile, especially in the Tindouf refugee camps, under occupationit has been pushed into a mostly cultural notion, increasingly depoliticized and made compatible with the Moroccan state.

Providing a historical overview of the Western Sahara conflict, Maarten first examines how Sahrawi identity and nationalism formed as an inherently political response to socio-economic conditions and colonialism. He then highlights how living as permanent refugees in the Tindouf camps, Sahrawis have emphasized this political character. Drawing from academicliterature and the impressions of Raphael Harnett, who produced the documentary “Undercover in Occupied Western Sahara: Have You Ever Heard of Africa's Last Colony?”, during his travels through the occupied zone, Maarten reflects on how occupation fosters an increasingly depoliticized way of being Sahrawi, and the consequences this has for international activism.

References 

Barreñada, I. (2017). Western Saharan and Southern Moroccan Sahrawis: National identity and mobilization. In R. Ojeda-García, I. Fernández-Molina, & V. Veguilla (Eds.), Global, regional and local dimensions of Western Sahara’s protracted decolonization: When a conflict gets old (pp. 277–304). Palgrave Macmillan US.

Chikhi, S. (2017). Non-violence or Violent Extremism: Young Refugees’ Propensities Pending the Resolution of the Conflict in Western Sahara. Journal of Peacebuilding & Development, 12(2), 51- 65. https://doi.org/10.1080/15423166.2017.1338156

Farah, R. (2009). Refugee camps in the Palestinian and Sahrawi national liberation movements: A comparative perspective. Journal of Palestine Studies, 38(2), 76-93.

Gilkerson, S. (2018). The Conveyor Belt to Nowhere: Identity and resistance at a Western Saharan phosphate mine from 1973-1976. Afrique contemporaine, 265(1), 59-75. https://migrationportal.ucdavis.edu/sites/g/files/dgvnsk911/files/inline-files/paper_gilkerson_conveyor-belt-to-nowhere.pdf

Hodges, T. (1984). The Western Sahara. The Review-International Commission of Jurists, (32), 25-32.

Le Billon, P. (2010). The geopolitical economy of ‘resource wars’. Geopolitics, 9(1), 1-28. https://doi.org/10.1080/14650040412331307812

Martín, C. G. (2012). Gdeim Izik: a change in the struggle strategies of the Sahrawi population. From Social to Political, 62.

Mundy, J. (2006). Autonomy & Intifadah: new horizons in Western Saharan nationalism. Review of African political economy, 33(108), 255-267. https://doi.org/10.1080/03056240600842875

Shelley, T. (2022). MINURSO between a Rock and a Hard Place. In Besenyö, J., Huddlestone, R.J., Zoubir, Y.H. Conflict and Peace in Western Sahara The Role of UN’S Peacekeeping Mission (MINURSO). (pp. 99-110). Routledge

Souaré, I. K., El Ouali, A., & Khadad, M. (2008). Western Sahara: understanding the roots of the conflict and suggesting a way out.

Vásquez, E. (2015). La badil la badil: The effects of military occupation on gender dynamics in Sahrawi political resistance. Georgetown University.

White, N. (2015). Conflict stalemate in Morocco and Western Sahara: Natural resources, legitimacy and political recognition. British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, 42(3), 339-357. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13530194.2014.949220

Zunes, S., & Mundy, J. (2022). Western Sahara: War, nationalism, and conflict irresolution. Second Edition. Syracuse University Press.

In this episode, Natalia Hernandez Somarriba, a second-year PhD student in Modern Languages, explores how literature can illuminate the ongoing legacies of coloniality and social inequality in Peru.

Natalia brings into dialogue two powerful works by Peruvian authors: Los ríos profundos (1958) by José María Arguedas and Huaco retrato (2021) by Gabriela Wiener. Published more than fifty years apart, these novels offer rich insights into shifting dynamics of mestizo identities, systemic oppression, and social conflict — both within post-colonial Peru and in relation to Europe as a former colonial power.

Drawing on decolonial, feminist, and post-humanist theoretical frameworks, Natalia examines how physical and symbolic movement shapes the identities of each novel’s narrator-protagonist, opening paths to empathy, self-understanding, and resistance. She further explores how both characters engage in decolonial practices that defy established power structures and challenge the positioning of White-mestizo subjects within their socieities.

Works cited in the episode:

Arguedas, José María. 1978. Deep Rivers (University of Texas Press: Austin).

Galindo, María. 2021. Feminismo Bastardo (Mujeres creando).

Hartman, Saidiya. 2008. 'Venus in Two Acts', Small Axe: A Caribbean Journal of Criticism, 12: 1-14.

Lander, Edgardo. 2002. 'Eurocentrism, Modern Knowledges, and the "Natural" Order of Global Capital', Nepantla: Views from South, 3: 245-68.

Mignolo, Walter D., and Catherine E.  Walsh. 2018. On Decoloniality: Concepts, Analytics, Praxis (Duke University Press).

Miller, Marilyn Grace. 2004. Rise and Fall of the Cosmic Race: The Cult of Mestizaje in Latin America (University of Texas Press: New York, USA).

Quijano, Anibal. 1992. 'Colonialidad y modernidad/racionalidad.', Perú Indígena, 13: 11-20.

______. 2010. 'Coloniality and Modernity/Rationality.' in Walter D. Mignolo and Arturo Escobar (eds.), Globalization and the Decolonial Option (Routledge).

Wiener, Charles, and Edgardo Rivera Martínez. 1993. "Perú y Bolivia. Relato de viaje." In. Lima: Institut français d’études andines.

Wiener, Gabriela. 2023. Undiscovered (Puhkin Press: London).

Zapata, Milagros, and David Swerdlow. 1998. 'Framing the Peruvian Cholo: Popular Art by Unpopular People.' in Eva P. Bueno and Terry Caesar (eds.), Imagination beyond Nation: Latin American Popular Culture (University of Pittsburgh Press: Pittsburgh, PA).

How can museums, traditionally visual spaces, become more accessible to visually impaired audiences? In this episode, Renato Trotta, a PhD candidate in Museum and Gallery Studies, explores the tensions between ocularcentric institutions and the need for non-visual engagement. He shares insights from his interdisciplinary research, drawing from museology, social sciences, critical disability theory, and psychology.

Through thought-provoking discussions and references to his fieldwork, Renato highlights key challenges and possibilities for greater inclusivity in museums. The episode also features reflections on the work of Aldo Grassini, blind museum director of the Tactile Museum of Ancona and a long-time accessibility advocate.

References

Klatzky, R.L., Lederman, S.J. & Metzger, V.A. (1985). Identifying objects by touch: An “expert system”. Perception & Psychophysics 37, 299–302  https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03211351

Secchi, L. (2004). L’educazione estetica per l’integrazione. Carocci.

Reichinger, A., Fuhrmann, A., Maierhofer, S., and Purgathofer, W. (2016). “Gesture-Based Interactive Audio Guide on Tactile Reliefs.” Proceedings of the 18th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility, October. https://doi.org/10.1145/2982142.2982176.

Suggested readings

Candlin, F. (2010). Art, Museums and Touch. Manchester University Press.

Eardley, A., Jones, V., and Zakaria, N. (2025). Unpicking Ableism and Disablism in Museums. Routledge EBooks, January, 11–26. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003382713-3.

Fortuna, J., Harrison, C., Eekhoff, A., Marthaler, C., Seromik, M., Ogren, S., and Vandermolen, J. (2023). Identifying Barriers to Accessibility for Museum Visitors Who Are Blind and Visually Impaired. Visitor Studies, February, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/10645578.2023.2168421.

Hetherington, K. (2000). Museums and the Visually Impaired: The Spatial Politics of Access. The Sociological Review 48 (3): 444–63. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-954x.00225.

Sandell, R. (2012). Museums, Equality and Social Justice. Routledge.

In this episode of CMR Podcast, Allan Mjomba Majalia, a third-year PhD student in Sustainable Development at the University of St Andrews, School of Geography and Sustainable Development, discusses the Indigenous and local knowledge of fisher folk in Kenya and Ghana. He explores how marine social science (a Western epistemological framework) intersects with African ontologies and epistemologies, offering unique insights from his PhD fieldwork.

Allan is interviewed by his colleague and friend, PGT MLitt. G. Connor Salter, as they reflect on the challenges and rewards of conducting research in diverse coastal communities, and the emerging themes from his two field sites.

Acknowledgments:
Albert Mwamburi (Pwani Tribune)
Emmanuel Shambi
Ferdinand Mwashumbe
Mariam Erestina and the Ghanaian team

In the first episode of the 4th season of the CMR Podcast, Sara Allam Shaltout, a PhD candidate at the School of International Relations, delves into the complexities of church-state relations in Egypt and their influence on the everyday lives of Christian minorities, particularly Coptic Christians. Joined by Dr. Fouad Halboni, Lecturer of Political Anthropology at the American University in Cairo, the discussion traces the origins of these relations to the Millet system from the Ottoman Empire—a framework for managing religious affairs for non-Muslim subjects under Islamic rule. This episode sheds light on the continued relevance of this system in understanding contemporary church-state dynamics and their impact on Christian communities in Egypt.

About the Host
Sara Allam Shaltout is a PhD candidate at the School of International Relations, University of St Andrews. Her research focuses on Christian-Muslim relations and church-state relations in the Middle East. She holds a Master’s degree in Middle East Studies from the American University in Cairo and a Master’s in Religious Studies and Theology from the University of Edinburgh.

In this episode, Michelle Alm Engvall, social researcher, MA in Anthropology and Humanitarian Action; Megan Denise Smith, Protection and Gender Specialist, Independent Consultant and PhD candidate in Political and Social Sciences at Universitat Pompeu Fabra; and Esther Neira, PhD candidate in Anthropology at Queen’s University Belfast, discuss the intersections between transactional sex (TS) and humanitarianism. They contextualise the differences between transactional sex and sex work to then discuss some of the current measures and policies put in place by the humanitarian agencies to address the needs of those who engage in TS within humanitarian settings. Based upon their experiences within their humanitarian sector and academia, they talk about the challenges that researching this topic implies, the gaps between the humanitarian industry and academia, and how to build better bridges between both.

References:

IASC (2018). "Gender Handbook for Humanitarian Action". Available at: https://interagencystandingcommittee.org/iasc-reference-group-gender-and-humanitarian-action/iasc-gender-handbook-humanitarian-action-2018.

UNHCR (2021). "Operational Guidance: Responding to the health and protection needs of people selling or exchanging sex in humanitarian settings". Available at: https://www.unhcr.org/sites/default/files/legacy-pdf/60dc85d74.pdf.

WRC (2016). "Working with Refugees Engaged in Sex Work: A Guidance Note for Humanitarians". Available at:https://www.womensrefugeecommission.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Refugees-Engaged-in-Sex-Work-Guidance-Note-Oct-2016-Modified.pdf.

Alm Engvall, M. (2019). "Sex Work and Humanitarianism: Understanding Predominant Framings of Sex Work in Humanitarian Response". MA Thesis. Available at: https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A1343555&dswid=-8294

Alm Engvall, M., Heidari, S., Hilhorst, D., Kahn, C., and Smith, M. (2022) Rethinking Transactional Sex in Humanitarian Settings: Reflections on the Way Forward. International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) Blog on Global Development and Social Justice (BLISS).

In this episode, Natalie Smith, a PhD candidate in the School of History, examines an anthropological account of the Roma written by the priest Cristfried Ganander in 1780, which marks the earliest study of the Roma people in Sweden. This text explored the history, culture and language of the Romani in Sweden-Finland.

This episode uses Ganander’s text as a case study to explore the relationship between the Swedish state and the Romani population. By analysing its portrayal of the Roma and the way they were contrasted with the Sámi, I seek to unravel the hierarchy of otherness imposed on minority populations by the 18th-century Swedish state.

Biblipgraphy: 

Primary Material 

Grellman, Heinrich Moritz Gotlieb. Dissertation on the Gipsies: being an historical enquiry, concerning the manner of life, family cononomy, customs and conditions of these people in Europe, and their origin, trans. Matthew Raper 1787 [1783]. 

Kongl. Svenska Vitterhets-academiens handlingar, Förste delen p. 5. Stockholm, Lars Salvius, 1775. 

Undated competition entry from Cristfried Ganander to KSWA, Undersökning om de så kallade TATTARE eller Ziguener, Cinqari, Bohemiens, Deras härkomst, lefnadssätt, språk, m. m. Samt om, när och hwarest några satt sig ner i Sverige? Original capitalisation. SE/ATA/ARK2_1-1F2:4 ATA Tävlingsskrifter MM 1779-1782. 

Secondary Material: 

Boatca, Manuela and Parvulescu Anca. “Creolizing the Modern: Transylvania Across Empires” Cornell University Press, 2022.  

Sunderland, Willard. “Taming the Wild Field: Colonisation and Empire on the Russian Steppe” Cornell University Press, 2004. 

Svensson, Birgitta. “Bortom all ära och redlighet : tattarnas spel med rättvisan” Nordiska Museets Förlag, 1993. 

Yuval-Davis, Nira. “Gender and Nation” Sage, 1997.

In this podcast, Yichi and her research interlocutor Shannon Chen-See Nehemiah discuss Shannon’s life experiences growing up as a fourth-generation Chinese Jamaican and an active poet and artist. They ruminate upon the commonality of minority experiences, which relate to being different from others and learning to embrace that difference. Their friendship also blooms through connections with the Chinese identity—a journey of forming relationships by encountering and going beyond people’s sameness and differences. Shannon also reads her poem about the minority experience and discusses its creation.

Visit Shannon’s website, where you can also find the poem read on the episode: https://www.watchensee.xyz/art-poetry

Tilly Lyons, a PhD student in Italian and History, gives a brief overview of the history of Africans in Italy between 1922 and 1945. In this episode, she contextualises the discursive landscape in which they found themselves in a colonial time when anti-Black propaganda was rife and discusses two case studies from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs archives in Rome.

Primary Sources:

‘Anna and Aden Bin Mohamed’, Ministero Africa Italiana vol. I 1857-1939, Posizione 35/9, Archivio Storico del Ministero degli Affari Esteri.

‘Osman Rorá’, Ministero Africa Italiana vol. I 1857-1939, Posizione 35/9, Archivio Storico del Ministero degli Affari Esteri.

Lidio Cipriani, Per un censimento delle genti di colore residenti in Italia, Ministero Africa Italiana Gabinetto Archivio Segreto 1925 – 1942, busta 70, Archivio Storico del Ministero degli Affari Esteri.

Secondary Sources:

Saidiya Hartman, Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments: Intimate Histories of Social Upheaval, (New York: W. W. Norton and Company, 2019).

Margherita Sarfatti & Brian Sullivan, My Fault: Mussolini As I Knew Him, Enigma Books, 2013.

Alberto Sbacchi, ‘Italy and the Treatment of the Ethiopian Aristocracy, 1937-1940’, The International Journal of African Historical Studies 10(2) (1977), 209-241.