Cléo Marmié

Please tell us about your research project. 

I am a PhD candidate in sociology at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) in Paris. My research interests include childhood and youth, international migration, transnational families, children rights, care, power relations, social and humanitarian work. Drawing on a multi-sited ethnography following the journeys of children and young people migrating from Morocco to Spain and France, my thesis traces the juvenile experiences and aspirations and explores how institutions, childcare systems, NGOs and associations are shaping their trajectories based on conflicting interpretations of their “best interest”.  

Could you please tell us a bit more about your exchange programme? 

I am part of the exchange programme between the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales and the Maison Française d’Oxford. I am making the most of this beautiful opportunity by immersing myself in the infinite collections and resources of the Bodleian libraries and taking part in the vibrant intellectual life of the university through seminars about Child Migration Studies and History of Childhood.  

First impressions of Oxford/the University? 

Oxford is a truly heaven for crafting a PhD thesis, everything appears tailored to transform this solitary journey into a collective and peaceful endeavour. The libraries are of course top-tier study spaces and the scientific and cultural life of the University, the Colleges and the Museums are a chance to meet other passionate students and researchers from across the world. The magnificent nature in and around Oxford allow to recharge the batteries by reading a book in the University Park or going for a run alongside the canal. And Port Meadow is absolutely breathtaking!