Aritra Basu

Aritra Basu is a doctoral candidate in Economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, completing his dissertation under the supervision of Professor James Heintz. His research examines economic hierarchies and group inequalities, focusing on how political and economic shocks impact distributive outcomes across intersecting dimensions of identity.

Aritra’s current projects investigate how trade shocks have affected racial residential segregation in the United States, analyze the relationship between caste networks and religious hate crimes in India, and explore how communal violence influences patterns of religious intermarriage. Through this multifaceted research agenda, he aims to better understand the complex mechanisms perpetuating socioeconomic disparities and group conflicts.

Additionally, Aritra collaborates with Professor Nancy Folbre as a research assistant studying trends in childcare and early education employment, labor market dynamics in care sectors, and broader economic aspects of care work.