Silky Bodies: Nation-Making and Historical and Contemporary Practices of Caring for Silkworms in Thailand

Alexandra Dalferro is a PhD student in Sociocultural Anthropology. Her research focuses on the politics, practices, and history of silk production in Thailand, particularly among Khmer communities in Surin Province.

She is interested in how knowledge and identity claims are fashioned and contested through material processes, and she foregrounds silk's "shimmering surfaces" to think about the affective and sensory dimensions of weaving and sericulture.

Before coming to Cornell, Alexandra lived in Thailand for over 4 years, working as a Research Assistant at the Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre and as an intern at UNESCO-Bangkok. She also completed one year of research as a Fulbright Student Researcher on the legal lottery system in Thailand and the precarious positions of migrant ticket sellers. She holds a BA in East Asian Languages and Cultures from Columbia University.