Marcos Estrada

I am a researcher with expertise on transnationalism, migration and border regions, with an interdisciplinary research profile examining how people, communities and institutions navigate social, cultural and economic relations across national boundaries. My work explores how mobility, identity, communication, knowledge and social practices are shaped by historical and contemporary processes of cross-border interaction, with particular attention to livelihoods, social protection and sustainable development.

My PhD research at the University of Warwick examined transnational practices and identities in the Brazil–Paraguay border region. Through qualitative fieldwork and engagement with migrant and rural communities, I investigated how geographical proximity and cross-border mobility shape everyday strategies for accessing land, livelihoods and social opportunities. The research examined both formal and informal responses to vulnerability, including migration, land reform, food sovereignty, access to water and education, and grassroots sustainability initiatives. This work subsequently developed into research on border identities, migration, representation and the concept of proximal transnationalism, examining how sustained interaction across neighbouring borders produces distinctive social and cultural forms.

My continuing research will extend this programme by examining transnationalism within border regions through historical, sociological and cultural perspectives. It will explore how mobility and settlement, language and communication, education, identity and representation intersect with changing social, political and environmental conditions, while continuing to foreground the experiences and agency of communities living across and between borders. y research resulted in the production of the award-winning film Brasiguaios: Transnational Lives and Identities.

As part of a postdoctoral fellowship at the Institute of Advanced Study (IAS), I expanded this work by producing the award-winning ethnographic film Brasiguaios: Transnational Lives and Identities. The film offers a close look at everyday practices of transnational living, revealing how local communities combine formal and informal subsistence practices to secure their livelihoods and protect their futures.

Exchanges: The Interdisciplinary Research Journal

In 2017, after I was awarded an Early Career Fellowship in the Institute of Advanced Study, I assumed the role of editor at the IAS' Exchanges: The Interdisciplinary Research JournalLink opens in a new window. Since 2024, I have been an IAS Associate Fellow, conducting Social Sciences and Humanities research.

Exchanges achieved a significant milestone by publishing its twenty-sixth issue in 2024. This special edition delved into reflections on the past ten years, including diverse topics such as AI in academic publishing. The current issue (Vol 12.1), just published, has our regular collection of articles from across the disciplinary spectrum from scholars at Warwick and worldwide.

In light of ongoing developments in ChatGPT, Exchanges is introducing a new policy relating to artificial intelligence tools and manuscripts submitted for the journal’s consideration. If you want to submit your paper, visit the journal’s website: https://exchanges.warwick.ac.ukLink opens in a new window