Enduring Social Ties and New Norms

In this episode, Xiang Biao, co-director of the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, speaks with Ferda Nur Demirci about her research on the indebtedness of miners in Soma, Turkey. Her findings reveal something that may seem contradictory to some: in a world of exploitation, debt is not merely a burden; rather, it can become a moral shield.

Ferda's research doesn't just tell a story about poverty or financial hardship. It explores how people, in the face of systemic precariousness, transform debt into self-discipline, solidarity, and even dignity.