Author Archives: kep

To begin, I really appreciate Mythri Jegathesan’s narrative style. Some ethnographies have been difficult to read, but due to the simplistic language it makes these difficult concepts and issues easier to understand. Similarly, the use of imagery at the very beginning … Continue reading →

This ethnography mentions the dichotomy of attitudes/treatment of animals between industrial farms vs. sanctuaries. Did Abrell ever research within zoos? I am curious as they straddle conservation and consumption efforts. Similarly, zoos place animals in a weird human-animal/property continuum.They also … Continue reading →

I think the concept of an arrivant state is particularly insightful as it highlights the intersection of colonialism, indigeneity, and violence. It is a state of affairs that exists in the United States, but we fail to consider these intersections … Continue reading →

In regards to content, I enjoyed this reading as it reframes the issue of drug addiction, which is highly stigmatized in the United States. Garcia goes against norms and stereotypes of addicts to look at alternative factors in drug usage and relapse. … Continue reading →

I found Suh’s work to be very insightful. The placement of PAC, which is an attempt to protect mothers, in the category of obstetric violence was really profound. The way that the PAC statistics are manipulated to show success and … Continue reading →

Methodologically, I thought Dixon did a great job of utilizing an interdisciplinary approach to her ethnography. In the introduction, I loved how Dixon took the time to differentiate her work from relevant literature, such as the work of Rosalynn A. … Continue reading →

Dr. Carwil Bjork-James, in The Sovereign Street: Making Revolution in Urban Bolivia, highlights several protest movements in Bolivia. He considers how physical space impacts movements and forces conversations. Similarly, I was particularly intrigued in how he placed the Bolivian protests … Continue reading →

Overall, Thomas does a great job of positioning the research in a broader systemic context. Thomas considers the systematic causes of violence in Jamaica, such as neoliberalism, slavery, and other historical factors. While I do like her positioning of violence … Continue reading →

I really enjoyed this ethnography both in terms of methodology as well as the content. As someone who is interested in systemic violence as it pertains to Indigeneity, I found her insight and perspective on change valuable. In Chapter 3, … Continue reading →

For another class, I have been reading The Sociological Imagination. The sociological imagination encourages social scientists, as they work on policies, ethnographies, etc., to critically consider their situation. This means accounting for the historical context, the interactions between systems, and … Continue reading →