Eli de Graaf
Research Assistant
(they/them)
Eli de Graaf
Contact
Email: eli.degraaf@bc.edu
Education
- M.A., European and Mediterranean Studies, New York University
- M.A., Education, Leiden University (cum laude)
- M.A., History, Leiden University (cum laude)
- B.A., History, Leiden University (cum laude)
Research Interests
Modern Europe
Cultural and social history
Reconciliation
Oral history
Memory studies
Advisor
Department
Biography
Eli's research focuses on the relationship between legal and social forms of forgiveness in post-conflict societies. They are particularly interested in Northern Ireland, where, despite the Good Friday Agreement, trust and forgiveness remain elusive in everyday life, and they draw on archival research and oral history to explore this gap. At the same time, Eli is drawn to a comparative, transnational lens, situating the Northern Irish case alongside other post-conflict contexts to ask how societies move, or fail to move, from political settlement to genuine social repair after violence.
Eli holds an M.A. in European and Mediterranean Studies from New York University, as well as an M.A. in Education, an M.A. in History, and a B.A. in History, all from Leiden University. They are a 2026–2027 Doctoral Fellow at the Clough Center for the Study of Constitutional Democracy.