“The purpose of anthropology is to make the world safe for human differences.”
“The purpose of anthropology is to make the world safe for human differences.” – Ruth Benedict (1887-1948)
Category: English
Encased: Plotting Attentions through Distraction by Melissa Biggs
Cases set boundaries; cases draw you in. Often imagined as they appear in traditional museums – archipelagos of order in ordered spaces with carefully placed markers for larger…
Disability: A Sister’s Ambivalence
I have a confession: there are many days when I wish I was anything but a disability researcher. I think wistfully to my high school aspirations of becoming…
Cultivating Childhood #EmergingDigitalPractices
Samira and Amna visit me in the afternoon after finishing Quran school (madrasa). After they have taken off their buibuis (long black overdress) and head scarves Samira continues…
Antropologie: een kansloze discipline? (2)
Griekse burgers in discussie met elkaar. Door Herbert Ploegman. Meer dan drie jaar geleden schreef ik een blog op Standplaats Wereld met bovenstaande titel. Ik was net afgestudeerd, en…
anthro in the news 7/6/15
Blaming the victim An article in the Guardian on Greece’s financial situation mentions the anthropologist of debt, professor David Graeber of the London School of Economics. While the…
What Will Happen if Greeks Vote ‘No’ to Austerity?
By Vito Laterza Originally published by Canadian alternative media platform Ricochet on 3 July 2015. It has been a hot week for Greece, driven by uncertainty ahead of…
What Will Happen if Greeks Vote ‘No’ to Austerity?
By Vito Laterza Originally published by Canadian alternative media platform Ricochet on 3 July 2015. It has been a hot week for Greece, driven by uncertainty ahead of…
What Will Happen if Greeks Vote ‘No’ to Austerity?
By Vito Laterza Originally published by Canadian alternative media platform Ricochet on 3 July 2015. It has been a hot week for Greece, driven by uncertainty ahead of…
New Zealand forest birds
“New Zealand’s forests were once filled with birds and their clamour: melodious songs, squawks, whirrs, squeaks, buzzing and chattering. These are the sounds of birds finding food, defending…
International Sociology Of The Arab Uprisings
The latest issue of the journal International Sociology features three articles on the Egyptian revolution, as well as a couple of other articles on the Arab uprisings generally.…
Bin Laden’s Bookshelf
In case you were wondering what kinds of books Bin Laden was reading, at least in his Pakistan compound before his demise, the U.S. Government has provided a…
In the Journals, June 2015 — Part II by Aaron Seaman
Starting off the second half of June’s journal roundup, we have some special issues. Two have been highlighted on Somatosphere: BioSocieties, “Alimentary Uncertainties: From Contested Evid…
Early morning Yirralka-ŋura
Bukmak Yolŋu’yulŋu baḏak ŋorra yukurra, Everyone is still asleep, wäwa walala, all [our] brothers waku walala, all [our] children gutharra walala, gaminyarr walala,…
Early morning Yirralka-ŋura
Bukmak Yolŋu’yulŋu baḏak ŋorra yukurra, Everyone is still asleep, wäwa walala, all [our] brothers waku walala, all [our] children gutharra walala, gaminyarr walala,…
Critical Medical Humanities – A special feature of Medical Humanities by Elizabeth Lewis
The June issue of Medical Humanities includes a special feature section entitled “Critical Medical Humanities.” This collection opens with a piece by William Viney, Felicity Callard, and A…
Joyce B. Flueckiger, “When the World Becomes Female: Guises of a South Indian Goddess”
Joyce B. Flueckiger‘s new book When the World Becomes Female: Guises of a South Indian Goddess (Indiana University Press, 2013) is a rich and colorful analysis of the goddess…
“Words of Witness” Captures The Ambiguity of The Egyptian Revolution
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Words of Witness, Mai Iskander’s compelling account of the aftermath of Egypt’s 2011 revolution in Tahrir Square that led to the resignation…
Why do Young Men from Lower Socio-Economic Classes prefer Shopping Online?
Photo by Shriram Venkatraman Most of us on social media have noticed the static advertisements that are displayed on the side panels or the advertisements that intrude upon…
Disability Fieldnotes Week in Review: June 26-July 2
Here is a curated collection of last week’s disability news. Enjoy! History: “Laura’s World” (Louis Menand) New Yorker feature story on Laura Bridgman, the first deafblind chil…
#Review: Money From Nothing, Part 2 of 2
This post represents the final part of our special review section on Money From Nothing: Indebtedness and Aspiration in South Africa. Check out the first installment here. The legacy…