
AnthroPod
AnthroPod is produced by the Society for Cultural Anthropology. In each episode, we explore what anthropology teaches us about the world and people around us.
Latest episodes

Mar 19, 2019 • 46min
50. Walking amid Wonder: Tulasi Srinivas and Namita Dharia in Conversation
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.”

Feb 14, 2019 • 39min
49. When Fieldwork Breaks Your Heart
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.

Jan 24, 2019 • 48min
48. (W)Rap on Gender/Sexuality
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!

Jan 4, 2019 • 51min
47. (W)rap on Immigration
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.

Dec 17, 2018 • 41min
46. Reading List for a Progressive Environmental Anthropology
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.

Oct 15, 2018 • 19min
AnthroBites: Queer Anthropology
Margot Weiss explores the origins, presents and futures of queer anthropology.

Aug 27, 2018 • 36min
45. (W)Rap on Race
“(W)Rap On: Race” features anthropologist Shalini Shankar discussing race, social activism, and pedagogy with Black Lives Matter activist DeRay McKesson. Christien Tompkins moderates the conversation.
(W)Rap on Race is the inaugural episode of the new (W)Rap On series at AnthroPod, which brings anthropologists into conversation with artists, activists, and scholars from other disciplines and perspectives. The series is loosely inspired by James Baldwin and Margaret Mead’s 1971 conversation Rap on Race. Yet the format attempts to identify and confront some of the inherent problems that this conversation embodied and only further crystallized, such as white fragility, difficulties with confronting complicity in larger power structures, and struggles to create space for different groups to speak openly (instead of being spoken over or spoken for).
Our goal for this series is to provide a platform for thoughtful and incisive discussions that highlight solidarities and shared commitments but also, and perhaps more importantly, highlight where frictions might emerge between anthropological approaches and those of different disciplines or of work outside the academy.

Jul 10, 2018 • 27min
44. Sounds of Economic Collapse in Egypt
Maria Frederika Malmstrom on the Sound of Economic Collapse in Egypt

Jun 12, 2018 • 48min
43. AnthroPod Crossover: The Familiar Strange with Vijayendra Rao
Vijayendra Rao, an economist with the World Bank, talks with anthropologist Ian Pollock about the theory and practice of development, anthropology’s relationship to development, and how ethnography might help the disenfranchised engage with powerful institutions and effect social change.

Jun 6, 2018 • 17min
AnthroBites: Hunters & Gathers
Discover the fascinating world of hunter-gatherer research in anthropology. Graeme Warren delves into how these studies illuminate our understanding of historical cultures. The discussion covers the complexities of categorizing hunter-gatherer societies and the crucial role of interdisciplinary collaboration. You'll gain insights into human diversity and social organization, making it clear just how much we can learn from the past.