Sandy Marshall is a PhD Candidate currently conducting field research in the West Bank for his NSF-funded dissertation on spaces of childhood and youth in Palestinian refugee camps.  Specifically, his research examines discursive constructions of the Palestinian child, particularly the image of the child in Palestinian nationalist discourse as well as international development discourse.  Further, this research explores the ways in which these discourses are disrupted by the different spatial practices and imaginings of Palestinian children themselves.

With a degree in Politics from the Queen’s University of Belfast and an MA in Near Eastern Studies from the University of Arizona, Sandy has been travelling to and researching the Middle East for almost ten years.  In addition to Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, Palestine, children's geographies and development, Sandy also has diverse but related research interests in the following areas: globalization of childhood and children's rights; Muslim youth culture and globalization; divided societies; memory; prison; and urban ecology.  Sandy is also an enthusiastic educator with keen interests in critical pedagogy and service learning.