Tuberculosis is a condition of paradoxes, a condition interweaved with stories of neglect, rediscovery, misconceptions (about why tuberculosis takes hold in some populations more than others, for example), and failures. As Christian McMillen beautifully demonstrates in Discovering Tuberculosis, this is not a novel situation. Tuberculosis and its framings, interventions, and responses, it seems, have always been fraught with paradoxes. …
AAA Panel in Honour of the Work of Margaret Lock
P. Sean Brotherton and Vinh-Kim Nguyen have organized a session at the upcoming AAA Meetings in honour of the work of Margaret Lock. “Beyond the Body Proper: Biopolitics and Biocontingencies” is an Invited Session sponsored by the Society for Medical Anthropology. The panel will take place on Thursday November 17, …
As an anthropologist it is
The swine flu outbreak is getting more interesting. I’m particularly compelled by the various trackings, especially because the cultural politics of surveillance–or lack thereof–is emerging as a critical issue. The Google Maps version is a personal favorite.
Globally, the number of cases of swine flu, and deaths attributed to or probably caused by the H1N1 virus are escalating; the microbe is certainly on the move. The BBC has a decent map of the outbreaks. Today, (in an article depicting a cool picture of a thermal scanner at Incheon International Airport in South Korea), The New York Times…
Microbes are everywhere; viruses, bacteria, and fungi are among the most abundant and diverse forms of life on earth. Anyone who has ever contemplated purchasing—or experienced bewilderment at the existence of antibacterial ballpoint pens, bedding, athletic clothing, soaps or similar products can attest to the prominence of bacteria in everyday cultural consciousness in the U.S. I for one am building …
Science, Medicine, and Anthropology