

This Anthro Life
Anthrocurious, LLC
This Anthro Life is the premiere go-to Anthropology Podcast that fuses human insights with cultural storytelling. We equip you with a deep understanding of the human experience to revolutionize your decision-making strategies and social impact. Head over to https://www.thisanthrolife.org to learn more. Spearheaded by acclaimed Anthropologist Dr. Adam Gamwell, This Anthro Life equips leaders, individuals, and organizations to shape a more compassionate future. We aim to broaden perspectives and fortify decision-making skills by fostering a profound understanding of culture coupled with the transformative power of storytelling. With curated conversations and thought-provoking discussions featuring humanity's top makers and minds, prepare to have your perspective transformed. This Anthro Life delves into various facets of human society—from examining the complexities of cultural identity to understanding the influence of technology on our everyday lives.🌍 Change Your PerspectiveExplore the complexities of life in a simple and engaging way. From AI and robotics revolutionizing the nature of work to emojis changing how we communicate, we delve into the forces shaping our world. No topic is off-limits—fossil fuels and their impact on our planet, the race to find alternative energy solutions, and so much more.🎙️ Captivating ConversationsGo beyond surface-level discussions with deep dives into fascinating topics. Dr. Adam Gamwell's interviews are thought-provoking, enlightening, and always entertaining. Carefully crafted questions ensure engaging conversations that are free from jargon, making them accessible to listeners of all backgrounds.✨ Key TakeawaysGain valuable insights from each episode that you can apply to your own life. Discussing wisdom gained from the edges of society, we extract impactful quotes and actionable ideas from our guests. Expand your horizons and develop a fresh perspective on the challenges we face as individuals and as a global community.🔊 Join the Community on SubstackSubscribe to "This Anthro Life" now for a weekly dose of eye-opening conversations. Share the podcast with friends and family who crave intellectual stimulation and diverse discussions. Be a part of the movement to change how we approach design, culture, business, and technology. Beyond offering an engaging outlook on human experiences, This Anthro Life lends its anthropological expertise to businesses, organizations, and individuals. We help them navigate challenges with effective communication techniques and innovative problem-solving strategies rooted in a nuanced understanding of human behavior and social structures. Get in touch.Join us on this captivating voyage of storytelling at the crossroads of culture, design, technology and business. We're excited to collaborate with you in shaping a more compassionate world through an enriched narrative of the human experience. Experience breakthrough perspectives on human experiences and come away equipped to make enriched decisions that contribute positively to your sphere. Join us as we shape a more connected, hopeful narrative - one human story at a time.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 23, 2016 • 40min
A Business for the Future? Redefining Value, Quinoa and the Quest of Pachakuti Foods w/ Alexander Wankel
We’re back in Peru! Join Adam and special guest Alexander Wankel of Pachakuti Foods for a conversation about the future of food production, agrobiodiversity, sustainability, and keeping traditional culture alive. All from the view point of quinoa.Pachakuti Foods is a brand-new startup focusing on creating a market for sustainable, pro-farmer and agrobiodiverse quinoa. It’s better for small-scale farmers, the environment, and for fighting climate change. Check out the project, and if you like it, support them on Kickstarter here!Pachakuti Foods Website --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisanthrolife/message

Mar 18, 2016 • 47min
Exploring Boundaries: From Access to Female Sexworkers to the Question of Research
When designing a research project, a researcher’s initial plans are often interrupted by what data we actually can access. Whether negotiating political structures, cultural taboos, necessary permissions, or the logistics of moving massive amounts of earth, borders certainly influence the research anthropologists conduct. Yet, those same borders are often at the heart of creative projects that grant an otherwise hidden perspective into the subaltern realities many diverse peoples face. Join Aneil and Ryan as they discuss these questions of research with Asli Zengin, whose studies on sex workers and trans people in Turkey was fraught with uncrossable borders. Yet, in negotiating them, deeper questions on the social realties, contested identities, and experiences that shape the lives of those who live between borders were appeared. Tune in and join us as we cross cultural boundaries.--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisanthrolife/message

Mar 7, 2016 • 36min
Mate: The Drink Beyond a Drink w/ Guilherme Heiden
Mate (pronounced mah-tay), or more commonly known as yerba mate for English speakers, is an herbal tea drink native to parts of South America – Southern Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay – where local people drank it for thousands of years. The incredible history of mate follows Guarani indigenous legend, the rise of Jesuit colonialism, Gaucho (cowboy) culture in Southern Brazil, and continues its rise in global popularity.Many see this drink as beyond a drink – aside from its colorful and unique drinking apparatus made from a dried-out gourd and metal straw. Mate is known to break down barriers between people of different groups, classes, ethnicity, even religions (trust us, you’ll learn about this one).Join Adam and special guest Guilherme Heiden, a Southern Brazilian mate enthusiast and expert, coming to you live from fieldwork in Peru, as they explore the fascinating, and thirst-quenching world of mate.

Feb 8, 2016 • 54min
Anthropology without Borders? Bringing the Study of People to the People 5
Join TAL as they explore the meaning and movements behind the buzz words that shape anthropology when it reaches beyond the classroom. Applied, Public, Design, and Open Anthropology. What are they, how do they work, and what for? Can anthropology intervene and create change in the contemporary world? On this episode Ryan, Aneil, and Adam explore ways to make anthropological thinking more public, accessible, and connected to the everyday lives and experiences that make the discipline so important. More than just a way to describe the world, we ask what it means for anthropology, in the words of Margaret Mead, to make the world safe for difference.--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisanthrolife/message

Jan 11, 2016 • 45min
History, Power, and a Mapuche Bible: A Shaman’s Story with Ana Mariella Bacigalupo
Join TAL’s Aneil Tripathy and Ryan Collins as they interview Ana Mariella Bacigalupo of SUNY Buffalo. Ana’s discussion of her research on Mapuche shamans takes us on an exciting journey, full of emotion, struggle, hope, and passion that keeps you wanting more. For the Mapuche, shamanism is as much a part of daily life as farming and state politics in Chile. Like cultures the world over, the Mapuche understand that there is power in words, in history, in how the past is given life. Yet, Mapuche understandings of history and literacy are unique and Ana shares with us why this detail is so important. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisanthrolife/message

Nov 12, 2015 • 34min
The Thrill of Discovery
Whether exploring a ruined tomb by torchlight, submerging to great depths in search of lost ships, or sending lone robot emissaries to search the stars, human experience is shaped by discovery. More than being a thrill, discoveries challenge our outstanding paradigms and force us to reexamine our understandings of the world. Join in as your TAL hosts Adam Gamwell, Ryan Collins, and Aneil Tripathy bring recent discoveries to the forefront and examine why the unknown is so evocative. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisanthrolife/message

Oct 6, 2015 • 1h
Return of the Ethnographers: Life After Fieldwork
Start your week off by tuning in to the TAL crew, the entire TAL crew, back from fieldwork (albeit briefly) as we talk about our experiences in ethnography, archaeology, and excessive note taking! In this exciting episode Amy, Adam, Aneil, and Ryan all share what fieldwork is for them, fun experiences, and the challenges of traveling to new social worlds. This is anthropology in action. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisanthrolife/message

Sep 29, 2015 • 55min
Back from the Field: Syncing into Holly Walter’s Research Part 2
Holly Walter’s joins TAL in the studio to share her experiences and insights into Shaligram stones! Her fieldwork took her from Kathmandu to Mustang on a pilgrimage, following in the footsteps of trekkers, tourists, and pilgrims. Braving rivers and traveling treacherous mountains all with limited wifi, Holly recounts her experiences and plans to return. Tune in to find out more! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisanthrolife/message

Sep 18, 2015 • 11min
Applying, Designing, and Bringing Anthropology to the Public
Welcome back listeners new and old to the new and exciting season of This Anthropological Life! This season we at TAL have a lot of new content and exciting interviews ahead. To bring everyone up to speed, tune in to our first episode of the new season focused on applied anthropology. What is ‘applied’ anthropology? How can anthropology be ‘designed’ and what role does the public play? Join Aneil Tripathy, Ryan Collins, and guest host Ilana Cohen as they discuss these questions and what makes them relevant to everyday life. Check it out! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisanthrolife/message

Apr 25, 2015 • 44min
Syncretism in the Land of Sacred Stones w/ Holly Walters
Sometimes ethnographic investigations are pretty straight forward. Sometimes, its like getting submerged in a ball pit with the task of sorting all of the colors, figuring out which ones are older than the others, and grappling with any surprises (and there will be surprises) that come your way. Join us as we talk with Anthropologist Holly Walters on her dissertation work at Muktinath, Nepal and learn about the sacred stones that draw people in as well as spreading out across the globe. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisanthrolife/message