I am a comparativist in the field of political science with a focus on Afghanistan and the greater Middle East region. I study conspiracism and ethnoreligious politics. By examining ordinary people’s engagement in informal political conversations, I explore the conspiratorial perspectives towards politics and the role of identity in shaping such a perspective. I am interested in the political themes people discuss in their informal talks, with whom they engage, in what ways these informal political chats affect institutional politics at large, and why people might avoid political conversations.