Dr Nachita Rosun
Research Fellow
Summary
I'm a cultural evolutionary psychologist interested in ongoing cultural changes that are interlinked with larger transitions in our demographic, economic, and technological landscape. My research looks into the transmission of cultural domains, everyday norms, and rituals, and how this transmission process contributes to larger changes in social structures such as kin networks, religious groups, and social hierarchies. I use several methodological approaches such as interviews, cultural domain analysis, and surveys. Most of my research is located in Mauritius, a country that has been undergoing a period of fast-paced cultural change over the last few decades, creating an interesting site to study these processes as they occur.
Responsibility
I am currently a postdoctoral researcher in the Centre for Culture and Evolution. My current research looks at explaining the causes of non-belief through lifecourse experiences and the timing of events related to social, material, and educational factors. I am also interested in the quality of social relationships (e.g., with parents, grandparents, and gods) as moderators of religious norm adherance which can buffer the loss of religious belief. In a separate project, I look into how kinship structures (extended vs nuclear families) and norms underlying these structures in everyday life are changing with educational and economic changes, as well as exposure to external cultures through tourism and technology. Both of these projects are being carried out in Mauritius.