UCL Anthropology is pleased to be hosting a joint launch to celebrate the release of books by Timothy Carroll, Kimberly Chong, Ashraf Hoque, Hannah Knox, Lucia Michelutti, Aaron Parkhurst and Rafael Schacter.
The launch will consist of a discussion chaired by Prof. Martin Holbraad which will explore the themes addressed by the authors, followed by a drinks reception.
Books:
Title: Best Practice: Management Consulting and the Ethics of Financialization in China Author: Kimberly Chong Summary: In Best Practice Kimberly Chong provides an ethnography of a global management consultancy that has been hired by Chinese companies, including Chinese state-owned enterprises. Read more
Title: Being Young, Male and Muslim in Luton Author: Ashraf Hoque Summary: Drawn from the author’s ethnographic research of British-born Muslim men in the English town of Luton, the book explores the everyday lives of the young men and, in particular, how their identity as Muslims has shaped the way they interact with each other, the local community and the wider world. Read more
Title: Ethnography for a Data-Saturated World Author: Hannah Knox and Dawn Nafus (Eds) Summary: The book explores how a repurposed form of ethnography might illuminate the kinds of knowledge that are being produced by data science. It also describes how collaborations between ethnographers and data scientists might lead to new forms of social analysis. Read more
Title: Mafia Raj: the Rule of Bosses in South Asia Authors: Lucia Michelutti, Ashraf Hoque, Nicolas Martin, David Picherit, Paul Rollier, Arild Ruud and Clarinda Still Summary: Through intimate stories of the lives of powerful and aspiring bosses in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, this book illustrates their personal struggles for sovereignty as they climb the ladder of success. Read more
Title: Medical Materialities: Toward a Material Culture of Medical Anthropology Author: Aaron Parkhurst, Timothy Carroll Summary: The book investigates points of cross-fertilisation between medical anthropology and material culture studies, and considers successes and limitations of both sub-disciplines as they attempt to understand places, practices, methods, and cultures of healing. Read more
Title: Orthodox Christian Material Culture: Of People and Things in the Making of Heaven Author: Timothy Carroll Summary: Drawing on three years of ethnographic fieldwork in an Anthiochian Orthodox parish in London and the monastery of Vatopedi on Mt Athos, Carroll explores the uses and purposes of material culture (textiles, iconography and relics) in Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Read more
Title: Street to Studio Author: Rafael Schacter Summary: As graffiti and street art enters its sixth decade, this groundbreaking book presents a new interpretation of where the genre is situated today. Introducing the concept of ‘Intermural Art’ – art in between the walls – Schacter presents a genre in transition. Read more
