Despite the world becoming smaller and more connected, it seems like identity is still a force to be reckoned with. Who we are, how we see ourselves and the communities we live in are integratively linked to identity. Our cultural and identity markers such as race, gender, age, and religion play a very strong part in the identity that shapes our everyday lives.

Karen's talk explores what it means to move beyond identity politics, towards the decolonisation of the “I”. Karen is an Environmental Anthropologist at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). She holds a Masters degree in Social Anthropology from the University of the Witwatersrand and is currently busy with her Ph.D. at the University of Johannesburg.

Karen’s research is about understanding socio-economic and socio-cultural issues in relation to the natural environment, which means that her research is often directed at the local and individual level of society. Her work has taken her across the globe and she has conducted fieldwork throughout South Africa as well as internationally, including countries such as Costa Rica, India, Mozambique, Vietnam and the USA. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx