Professor Emeritus
Dr. O’Neill is a social-cultural anthropologist who has conducted extensive fieldwork in Nepal since 1993. His research in the Tibeto-Nepalese carpet industry dealt with petty-capitalism, “bonded” child labour and youth who worked as carpet weavers. He has also investigated transnational labour migration, and the effects of Nepal’s Maoist insurgency on its children and youth. Recent research investigated second generation Tamil-Canadian youth and transnational ethnonationalist ideology. He is currently the Principal Investigator on a SSHRC funded project “Youth Political Engagement in Emerging Nepali Democracy”.
- Youth political engagement
- Ethnicity and nationalism
- Transnationalism and globalization
- Second generation immigrants and refugees in Canada
- Children and youth in war zones
- Child and youth ‘living rights’ in international development
- O’Neill, Tom, Bijay Poudel and Nabin Maharjan (2019) “Youth political engagement and democratic culture in republican Nepal” Himalaya 39(2): 18-28.
- O’Neill, Tom, Uttam Makaju, Rinjan Shrestha, Naresh Tamrakar, Bimal M. Shrestha, Birendra Ratna Stahpit (2019), “The Nepali – Canadian Living Standards Survey: Newcomer incorporation in the Greater Toronto Area” Canadian Ethnic Studies 51(1): 69-88.
- (2016) The Heart of Helambu: Ethnography and Entanglement in Nepal. Toronto: University of Toronto Press (May 2016)
- (2016) “Student Union “Political Anti-Politics” in Post-Conflict Nepal” Journal of Youth Studies doi=10.1080/13676261.2016.1145636
- (2015) “In the Path of Heroes: Second-generation Tamil-Canadians after the LTTE” Identities: Global Studies in Culture and Power, 22(1): 124-139.
- (2012) “Young carpet weavers on the rights threshold: protection or practical self-determination?” in: Reconceptualising Children’s Rights in International Development: Living Rights, Social Justice, Translations, Hanson, Karl and Olga Nieuwenhuys, (eds.) Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 93 – 11
- (2009) “Social Labelling Programs in Nepal’s Carpet Industry” in The World of Child Labor: An Historical and Regional Survey edited by Hugh D Hindman, ME Sharpe Press.
- O’Neill, Tom and Dawn Zinga, editors (2008) Children’s Rights: Multidisciplinary Approaches to Participation and Protection Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
- (2008) “The Dilemma of Child and Youth Participation in Nepal’s ‘People’s War'” In: Children’s Rights: Multidisciplinary Approaches to Participation and Protection. University of Toronto Press pp. 21-38.
- (2007) “‘Our Nepali work is very good’: Nepalese Domestic Workers as Transnational Subjects” Asian and Pacific Migration Journal, 16(3): 301-321.
- (2018) “Youth political engagement and democratic agonism in republican Nepal” Canadian Anthropology Society Meetings, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba.
- (2016) “Youth political engagement and state capacity in post- conflict Nepal” Annual Conference on South Asia, Madison, WI.
- (2016) “Youth, ethno-nationalism and emerging biopolitics in Sri Lanka and Nepal” Canadian Peace Research Association meetings, University of Calgary, Calgary Alta
- (2015) “Ideology, voice and difference in Nepali student democratic agency”, Anthropology of Children and Youth interest Group meetings, California State University Long Beach, Long Beach, CA.
- (2014) “Student union political anti-politics in post-conflict Nepal”, Canadian Anthropology Society meetings, York University, Toronto.
- (2011) “In the path of heroes: second generation Tamil-Canadians after the LTTE” A paper presented to the American Anthropological Meetings, Montreal, P.Q.
- (2010) “Second generation Tamil diaspora identity after Eelam” a paper presented to the 2010 Canadian Anthropology Society meetings, Montreal, P.Q.
- (2009) “Young carpet weavers on the rights threshold: protection or practical self-determination?” A paper presented at Living Rights: Theorizing Children’s Rights in International Development. Institut Universitat Kurt Bosch, Sion, Switzerland.
- (2008) “Solidarity, in little pieces” A paper presented to the Canadian Anthropology Society Meetings, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON.
