Rashid Dossett - Anthropologist and sociologist.
- Isobel Arden
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
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Meet Rashid Dossett.
In this interview, Mark invited Rashid Dossett to create his own fantasy cultural year from the answers to some easy questions where there are no wrong answers. Enjoy his journey below.
Rashid Dossett is an intriguing blend of academic rigour, historical imagination and narrative flair: an anthropologist, sociologist, Latin Americanist, Europeanist and novelist who seems to divide his week between deciphering colonial legacies and plotting spirited fictional rebellions.
Anthropologists tend to look at cultural behaviour across time and place. Anthropology frequently bridges cultures and time periods — from Indigenous spirituality to globalisation to the legacies of empire.
Sociologists study society at scale. They look at social systems, institutions and patterns: rather than asking “What do people do?”, they often ask “Why is society organised this way?” and “Who benefits from it?”
Where the two fields overlap is in their shared focus on context. They don’t take behaviour at face value — they ask what histories, structures and meanings sit behind it.
Hailing from Curaçao in the Caribbean, Rashid’s work connects centuries, cultures and continents with the curiosity of a detective and the wit of a storyteller.
Educated at two of Europe’s most prestigious institutions — Leiden University and Erasmus University Rotterdam — Rashid Dossett has applied anthropological and sociological lenses to a broad range of subjects, from Latin American social structures to the European experience of cultural change.
His academic background informs his analytical work, whether through fieldwork in Guatemala or contributions to consultancies that aim to frame contemporary issues within deeper historical contexts.
When he’s not wrestling with ethnographic puzzles, Rashid Dossett turns his analytical eye to fiction. His novels — often rooted in historical research and colonial encounters — span genres from historical drama to speculative narratives, with titles such as Chronicles of Forgotten Shaman Queens, Letters to St. Louis and No Blue for Spain finding homes on international bookshelves and marketplaces.
Whether he’s dissecting migration discourses or celebrating the richness of Spanish Empire history, his voice is scholarly yet accessible, grounded yet irreverent.
Rashid's Fantasy Cultural Year ... with a magic wand and time machine to hand.
Mark had a tantalising proposal: a year-long, family-foundation-funded research project, fully first class, with Rashid choosing the destinations.
The mission? To explore how different societies have developed their arts — and how anthropology quietly shapes creative expression. Rashid chose Ethiopia as the starting point, drawn to its deep historical roots and cultural influence. The twist: for the entire year, he’d only listen to Baroque classical music.
🎶🌶️ Salsa, Spain & Shared Rhythms
Rashid spoke about his love of salsa, shaped by his Latin American heritage and affinity for Hispanic culture.
Dinner plans followed easily: Spanish cuisine, chosen for its Moorish influences and its cultural bridge between Europe, Africa and Latin America.
🏀🎨 Virtual Worlds: Sport, Art & VR
Their imagined travels took a surreal turn. First stop: Cambodia, where they watched a basketball game featuring a US dream team. Then on to Cuba, visiting a digitally enhanced art gallery. Rashid was particularly intrigued by the idea of experiencing Rembrandt through virtual reality, stepping inside the paintings themselves.
🎭🎼 A Cultural Week in London
The fantasy itinerary wrapped up with a week in London, packed wall-to-wall with culture:
A live Baroque orchestra
A theatre play from 1613, notable for its first recorded use of the term “white people”
A Napoleonic-era musical
Puccini’s Tosca at the opera
And a classic film night with Jurassic Park, chosen for its timeless appeal and John Williams’ iconic score
👑✨ Rashid’s Fantasy Cultural Year
To top it all off, Mark and Rashid imagined lunch with King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands.
Rashid’s verdict?An imaginary year he’d happily live through — again and again.
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Mark Walmsley FRSA FCIM AGSM
Chief Culture Vulture
Arts & Culture Network
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