Byron Gray

Byron Gray is a socio-cultural anthropologist working in South Asia. His research focuses on the role that religion and ethnicity play in shaping Indian law, politics, and urban spaces. Prior to entering Stanford, Byron completed a MPhil in Social Anthropology from University of Oxford and a BA from University of Washington in Political Science; Law, Societies, & Justice; and South Asian Studies. During this time, he conducted two major research projects: one on Christian feminism and family law reform in India and another on the evolving relationship between state and non-state shari‘ah law in India.

Byron’s doctoral research examines how urban space and ethno-religious identities are interwoven in the 500 year-old Catholic community of Mumbai. His project focuses on the role that religious and ethnic identity play in mediating access to housing and property, the social and material practices communities use to create neighborhood spaces, and how changes in urban geography and demographics reshape collective identities.