Rivke Jaffe (born 1978) is interested in understanding urban societies and the forces that drive inequality in cities. Why are some urban dwellers disproportionately exposed to urban problems such as poverty, crime and environmental degradation? How does the past – in particular colonialism – shape the cities of today, and how do people use popular culture to express the urban experience? She studies these and other interdisciplinary issues with sociologists, political scientists, historians, art historians, and literary scholars. Her ‘Hiphop University’ makes her research accessible to a wider audience.
