Olivia Petie

Olivia is an ESRC funded Doctoral Researcher at the University of Birmingham, based within the Institute for Research into Superdiversity (IRiS). Olivia’s research examines hotels as a form of precarious accommodation for asylum seekers in the UK, and the relationship between hospitality and home. The research aims to understand how hospitality is or isn’t offered to asylum seekers in the UK through Home Office hotel accommodation; and the implications of living in such accommodation on the lives of asylum seekers as they establish ‘home’ in the UK. Olivia's research draws on qualitative longitudinal interviewing and ethnographic methods to understand experiences of asylum accommodation over time.

Alongside her academic work, Olivia has over 8 years of experience working in applied social research and evaluation across the third and public sector.