Author Archives: Angela Yan

Mythri Jegathesan’s ethnography explores Hill Country Tamil workers’ desires for dignity on Sri Lanka’s tea plantations. She conducted her ethnographic research between 2008 and 2017. The length of time in which she immersed herself in the fieldwork is notable because … Continue reading →

Elan Abrell’s ethnography explores U.S. animal sanctuaries, animal rights, and animal autonomy. I found his ethnography interesting because it expands the traditional definition of anthropology is the study of what makes us human to the study of what makes living … Continue reading →

Ana-Maurine Lara’s ethnography on queer, black, and indigenous life in the Dominican Republic was different from the ethnographies we’ve read before in that Lara writes in a more poetic and literary style. Her use of footnotes also differs from other … Continue reading →

Garcia’s ethnography on pastoral clinics and rural heroin addiction in New Mexico humanizes heroin addiction. She emphasizes the societal, familial, and systemic issues that contribute to pastoral clinics’ purported failure by measures self-discharge and relapse. Garcia’s quote in Chapter 5 … Continue reading →

Suh’s ethnography explores the racial, class, and gender-based components of post-abortion care (PAC) and reproductive health politics in Senegal. At first glance, I thought of the term PAC to be neutral. However, my impression of the term soon flipped to … Continue reading →

I found Dr. Bjork-James focus on the common spaces and practices created through social movements interesting. Focusing on common spaces enables him to see how race and class affect social movement mobilization and decision making. He explores questions such as … Continue reading →

Thomas’ ethnography about the formation and perceptions of citizenship in transnational Jamaica is fascinating. The structure of this ethnography differs from the other works we’ve read in this class because it examines black bodies and citizenship from a structural perspective. … Continue reading →

Shange uses multiple methods to conduct her ethnography, but the one she seems to rely the most on is classroom observations and observing conversations between students and between Sofia, the teacher, and her students. Shange still participates because she is … Continue reading →

I found this ethnography interesting because it traces ethnic formation in the Southeast Asian diaspora through the lens of the matsutake mushroom. I knew culture and economic livelihood were tied together, but it was interesting to read about the extent … Continue reading →