Faizal Bin Abdul Aziz

Exploring the Affective and Emotional Experiences of Singapore-based Flight Attendants amidst a Global Pandemic

Faizal started his DPhil journey at the School of Geography and the Environment in October 2020, upon completion of his MSc in Nature, Society and Environmental Governance (with distinction). Prior to pursuing his postgraduate studies at the University of Oxford, Faizal worked as a flight attendant with Singapore Airlines for five years, flying international routes where he was able to put his language proficiency in Arabic, Bahasa and French to good use. In 2014, Faizal graduated with a B.A. (Honours, first class) in Geography, and a minor in Theatre Studies from the National University of Singapore and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Joint-Degree Programme).

Faizal situates his current research within the scholarship of mobilities, service employment and crises. Apart from exploring the affective/emotional dimensions and lived experiences of working (or not working) in times of crisis, Faizal is also keen to develop ideas in the topics of rhythms, embodiment and mobile work. More specifically, he proposes to adopt mobile/digital, feminist and nonrepresentational methods in the exploration of themes arising from the (im)mobility of flight attendants since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In doing so, Faizal seeks to go beyond 'methodological conservatism' in social science research, and contribute conceptually and empirically to the discipline of geography.