AnthroPod

Anthropology activists Sophie Chao and Bianca Williams discuss mapping as an activist mode of research, power dynamics in anthropology, the significance of sound in understanding landscapes, pursuing happiness for Black women, and the concept of time in activism.

In a thought-provoking discussion, Professors Beatriz-Reyes Foster and Rebecca Lester dive into the intersection of anthropology and mental health. They share insights from their blog series on trauma and resilience in ethnographic fieldwork, highlighting the mental health challenges faced by researchers. They emphasize the need for better institutional support, reflective practices, and a cultural shift towards nurturing academic environments. Their narratives explore the emotional toll of fieldwork and advocate for ongoing conversations around mental health in anthropology.

Ruth Behar speaks with Kristen Ghodsee about how anthropologists can be public intellectuals: They discuss how can anthropologists maintain credibility as scholars within the academy while also speaking to broader audiences; the necessity of patience and thinking of a career over the long duree; the productive spaces and possibilities within the discipline to reach out; and tips and suggestions for how to write in ways that appeal to non-academic audiences.

Guests Camilla Ida Ravnbøl and Marie Kolling explore the impact that digitalizing economies have on communities that are poor and highly cash dependent. The episode features Ravnbøl's research with Roma migrants at the Roskilde Festival, a music festival in Denmark that went cashless in 2017 but has developed accommodations for cash-dependent Roma migrants who collect bottles for refunds. Rich soundscapes anchor the listener in the ethnographic context of this research.

Mark Schuller on anthropological work in, with, and on NGOs.

Guests Namita Dharia and Tulasi Srinivas discuss the possibilities for an anthropology of wonder. Their conversation builds out from Srinivas’s latest book, "The Cow in the Elevator: An Anthropology of Wonder," and explores questions of positionality in the field, canonical inheritances, and experiments with ethnographic writing. Sonic landscapes from Srinivas’s fieldsite weave in and out of their discussion, opening listeners to encounters with ritual and aesthetic practices and renewing Srinivas’s assertion that “deep listening is the quality of a great ethnographer.”

This podcast explores the emotional toll that ethnographic fieldwork takes on researchers, discussing challenges faced, lack of preparation, and the importance of mental health support. Experiences in Tonga and Dhaka are shared, highlighting surprises and the fear of missing out. The emotional impact of fieldwork and the importance of seeking support are also discussed.

V Chaudhry, a moderator with a flair for fostering rich discussions, leads this engaging dialogue with anthropologist Mary Weismantel and fiction writer Samuel Delany. They explore the fluidity of gender roles, the interplay of identity and societal attitudes toward LGBTQ+ communities, and the complexities of representing marginalized experiences. The conversation digs deep into the ethics of memory in storytelling, the responsibilities of writers, and the transformative power of literature in activism. Get ready for a thought-provoking exchange that challenges conventional narratives!

Anthropologist Jason De León and journalist Maria Hinojosa discuss migration, U.S. border militarization, and teaching and writing in political times. Journalist Julio Ricardo Varela moderates the conversation. This episode is part of the (W)rap On: Series, inspired by the original 1970 conversation between writer James Baldwin and anthropologist Margaret Mead.

This roundtable discussion explores the recently published Reading List for a Progressive Environmental Anthropology. The crowdsourced reading list is a project organized by Bridget Guarasci (Franklin and Marshall College), Amelia Moore (University of Rhode Island), and Sarah Vaughn (University of California, Berkeley). Crafting this reading list around themes such as toxicity, globalization, waterscapes, and economies, Guarasci, Moore, and Vaughn aim to offer theoretical and regional breadth that pushes at the intellectual and practical boundaries of environmental anthropology. In this roundtable discussion held at the 2018 annual meeting of the American Anthropological Association, Guarasci and Moore are joined by collaborators Jessica Cattelino (University of California, Los Angeles), Eleana Kim (University of California, Irvine), and Laura Ogden (Dartmouth College) for a conversation on how the reading list came about, the motivations behind it, and possible applications and future directions. As well as offering insightful commentary on environmental anthropological theory over the years, the discussion highlights the political implications of who we choose to read now and what concepts and discourses we engage in our conversations about the environment—in other words, why citation matters.