Harper Dafforn

Originally from Pembrokeshire, West Wales, I hold an undergraduate degree in Classics & English from the University of Oxford, as well as further qualifications including a C2 in Spanish and Level 7 certificates in Spanish-English Translation. I was inspired to pursue a degree in interdisciplinary social sciences after studying a second language opened my eyes to a multiplicity of global realities, most notably leading to an opportunity to work as an editor and translator for the FOUND (or ‘Interpretar la naturaleza para encontrar a quienes nos hacen falta’) project, which is developing technologies to assist in the search for clandestine graves in Mexico. My research will focus on the interactions between organised crime, subnational politics, and grassroots activism in Mexico, as well as dynamics of narcocultura and socialisation in the region.  

Having lived and studied in Madrid, where there is palpable socio-bureaucratic segregation between the Spanish and Latin American Migrant population and the so-called ‘mafia de la cita previa’ legally compromises asylum seekers, I am also interested in comparing the experiences and reception of Venezuelan migrants and refugees in hispanophone host countries.  

Although I have transitioned to social sciences, the arts hold a special place in my heart, and I spend the best part of my free time reading, watching films, and writing fiction.