On Menstruation and Feeling Shame
Menstruation as a subject of study is not new. Margaret Mead, Mary Douglas, Chris Bobel, Miren Guillo, and Karina Felitti, among many others, have discussed how menstruation has…
Tag: research
“Living with Javelinas”: New Book Under Contract
After five years of research and writing, I am pleased to announce that my first book is under contract with University of Texas Press. Peer reviews came back…
Green Lady Cambodia: A Small Initiative for A Big Change on Menstrual Health and Hygiene Education
Authors’ Note: The following essay uses the words “women” and “girls” in order to mirror the phrasing and experiences of cited literature as well as the responses of…
Japan Economic Foundation’s Japan SPOTLIGHT (#158) Special Interview: “Intersection Between Language & Culture: Probing Japan’s Deaf/deaf Society”
Japan SPOTLIGHT, November/December 2024 Issue (#158) Link: https://www.jef.or.jp/jspotlight/backnumber/detail/258/ Click the link above and scroll down to: Click, or follow the link below fo…
Connections between Health, Science, and Technology: What Does Anthropology Have to Do With It?
As I became acquainted with social studies of science and technology, particularly through anthropological research, I realized it opened new doors for me, offering fresh perspectives and…
Drawing with Lynda Barry’s “Syllabus” in a creative ethnographic practices class
A few years ago, my friend Caroline Bennett gave me Lynda Barry’s 2014 book Syllabus: Notes from an Accidental Professor and this term I decided to use some…
Chaotic Oscillation: Understanding the Paradoxical Presence of Video Games in Contemporary Society
Common sense tells us that play and work are opposing categories. However, in our society we often encounter situations where the boundaries between these two categories become difficult…
Guest on The Sausage of Science Podcast
I was a guest on The Sausage of Science podcast with Dr. Chris Lynn, discussing my research. Listen below.
Foucault, Dialectics, and Randomized Clinical Trials: Bridges Between Medicine and Anthropology
Graffiti on the facade of the building where one of the interviews was conducted. It features a drawing of a healthcare worker wearing a mask and cap, holding…
Overcoming Methodological Challenges with Reflective Video Diaries: the Case of Smart Toothbrushes
Marije Miedema* This blog post is based on the master’s thesis completed at the Research Master Arts, Media and Literary Studies, at the University of Groningen. It highlights…
Coyote Chaos in the Anthropocene
A couple of weeks ago, a coyote climbed the fence into my mother’s backyard and attacked one of her dogs, Cujo. The coyote only stopped its assault when…
PhD done – read it here!
That’s right, after six and a half years of toil (and fun) spread between a rainforest in Cameroon and a library and office in London, the thing is…
How an interview request about Gen X sparked a teaching moment in an anthropology class
Last week Jogai Bhatt from RNZ approached me to do an interview about Generation X for a mini-series they are airing in the lead up to Generation X:…
Between the Bitterness of Anonymity and Ethics is Racism: Reflections for Anthropological Research on Science in the ‘Backyard’
The entrance of the room where the Mocambo group works. Photo by the author. This essay is one of the results of a roda de conversa (a conversation…
What Will Be Lost: A Cat, a Man with a Horse, and the Battle at Court
This essay joins ethnographic fieldwork with a visual storyboard to explore speculative futures that arise from ongoing processes of dispossession and loss in the foothills of the Andes…
“We had to rethink many, many things”: Reflexivity in Scientific Practices during the Zika Epidemic in Recife, Brazil
Entrance door to the infectious and parasitic diseases wing. Image by author. Luiza is a pediatrician and researcher specializing in infectious diseases who works at a teaching hospital…
Dissertation Defense: Five Years of Recovery
On April 30, 2019, a shooter entered my classroom on my last day of teaching at UNC-Charlotte. I was preparing to move to Texas to begin a doctoral…
Dissertation: Living with Javelinas: On the Co-production of Human-Javelina Conviviality in Texas
Abstract This dissertation investigates the coexistence of humans and javelinas in Texas. Through a blend of traditional ethnography, ethology, and GIS mapping, the study explores the dynamics…
How can we save ourselves?
I’m an anthropologist doing my PhD on activism and organizing. I’ve also been an organizer myself for over a decade, primarily focusing on drug policy, but also coalition-building…
Who Knows About Ethical Research?: Reflections on Research Ethics and Vulnerability in Abortion Research
People who have abortions are often thought of as inherently vulnerable. When retold without nuance, this narrative can be harmful to abortion-seekers, as well as to reproductive autonomy…
Our Edited Volume is Out:
Nurturing Alternative Futures: Living with Diversity in a More-than-Human World I am pleased to announce that Nurturing Alternative Futures: Living with Diversity in a More-than-Human World is cur…
Scientists In Support of Palestine
We will not be silent in the face of the ongoing genocide of Palestinians, and we hope we will see a free Palestine in our lifetimes. As scientists…
Scientists In Support of Palestine
We will not be silent in the face of the ongoing genocide of Palestinians, and we hope we will see a free Palestine in our lifetimes. As scientists…
Algorithmic Imaginations in Agriculture: Automation?
In 2022, I was conducting my doctoral dissertation research on data-driven, automated digital farming technologies (drones, autosteering, sensors, GIS, smartphones, Big Data) in Turkey. Amidst the glo…