Dr Vieten has researched the notions of difference and otherness, particularly with respect to historical and contemporary cosmopolitanisms. More recently, she looked into the experiences of asylum seekers and refugees in Northern Ireland, and focused on the politics of loss, the language of dance and how to communicate experiences of displacement across different groups.

The study on refugees was the first study of this kind in NI, and commissioned by the OFMDFM/ Stormont, in 2016. Following previous, also externally funded research, the most recent project with colleagues in Turkey is ground breaking as visual culture is used to stimulate processes of reconciliation across divided communities.