Caroline Bennett is a socio-cultural and visual anthropologist, whose work addresses issues of conflict and violence. Having previously worked as a forensic anthropologist in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iraq, her work considers the intersection of academic analysis with practical experience to explore issues of international interventions, human rights, and geopolitics. She has lectured in the UK, Aotearoa New Zealand, and Australia, worked with the UK parliament on genocide prevention, and provided consultancy and media interviews for a number of bodies including the BBC, the ABC, and others.
Caroline completed a PhD in Social Anthropology and an MA in Visual Anthropology at the University of Kent, an MSc in Forensic Anthropology from Bradford University and a BSc(Hons) in Anthropology from University College London. She is currently an assistant professor in Social Anthropology and International Development at Sussex University in the UK, and an Associate Research Fellow in Anthropology at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington in Aotearoa New Zealand, where she was a lecturer in cultural anthropology for five years. Prior to starting at Sussex, she was Director of the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Prevention of Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity in the UK Parliament, and for four years, she served on the Advisory Board for the International Association of Genocide Scholars.
With an interest in breaking down the barriers between academia and the public, Caroline is interested in how creative methodologies enable spaces for exploring difficult and sensitive issues, and how visual methods in particular can offer modes for engaging beyond the academic community.