DPhil Student
St John's College
Research: My research focuses on the evil eye’s contemporary significance, relevance, and manifestations in modernity, specifically examining how Moroccans use it to navigate everyday life in conditions of uncertainty. The evil eye (al-ayn) – as a set of beliefs and practices – is used to ward off and explain misfortune and adversity, both prospectively and retrospectively. It enables people to presumably attempt to avoid outcomes on the one hand, and explain their origins on the other hand. I posit that a closer examination of its mechanisms can illustrate ways in which people understand and manage potentially harmful powers outside their control in a contemporary context. In exploring the everyday realities of Moroccans, I hope to reveal the ways in which knowledge of the evil eye shapes individual and social behaviour, perception, and worldview.
I hold an MPhil in Social Anthropology from the University of Oxford, and a BA in Social Anthropology and Arabic from the University of Zurich. Prior to starting my DPhil, I worked in diplomacy at the Consulate General of Switzerland in New York. I speak seven languages.
Key words: Morocco, Religion, Belief, Ethics, Misfortune, Semiotics, Temporality, Rituals, Linguistics, Emotion, Apotropaic Magic, Amulets, Uncertainty
Email: ariella.strauss@sjc.ox.ac.uk
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ariella-strauss-49a862242
