{"title":"‘Skateboarding is not a sport’: Creativity at the margins of capitalism","authors":"John Marlovits","doi":"10.1111/1467-8322.12913","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1467-8322.12913","url":null,"abstract":"<p>One might expect skateboarders to be jubilant that the Olympics recognized theirs as an Olympic sport, but their response is ambivalent. Alexis Sablone, a women's street competition participant, does not consider skateboarding ‘a sport’. What is it if not a sport? This article argues that it is a fugitive, non-teleological, open-source practice for creating new ‘existential territories’ – new forms of personhood, public space and social relationships. Skateboarders’ resistance to centralization and their emphasis on DIY creativity suggests skateboarding involves challenging culturally specific and local norms. It rests on creative remakings of derelict and unevenly developed urban spaces and the construction of new forms of identity and social purpose. The argument is based on fieldwork with the Osaka Daggers.</p>","PeriodicalId":46293,"journal":{"name":"Anthropology Today","volume":"40 5","pages":"10-13"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142404164","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Algorithmic policing: Part 1. Tech startups, venture capital and law enforcement in America","authors":"Roberto J. González","doi":"10.1111/1467-8322.12916","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1467-8322.12916","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This article examines the rise of algorithmic policing in the United States, focusing on predictive policing platforms and facial recognition technologies. Part 1 explores how companies like PredPol, Palantir and Clearview AI have developed data-driven tools to predict and prevent crime and identify suspects. The article analyses the historical context, technological development and implementation of these systems by law enforcement agencies. It also discusses the concerns raised by critics, including issues of privacy, racial bias and the potential for reinforcing discriminatory policing practices. Through case studies and examples, the article illustrates how these technologies have impacted communities, particularly communities of colour. It examines the complex interplay between Silicon Valley startups, venture capital and law enforcement in shaping modern policing practices.</p>","PeriodicalId":46293,"journal":{"name":"Anthropology Today","volume":"40 5","pages":"23-27"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142404168","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Protesting the future: The evolution of the European farmer","authors":"Eimear Mc Loughlin","doi":"10.1111/1467-8322.12911","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1467-8322.12911","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Recent farmer protests across Europe demonstrate the complex challenges facing modern agriculture. This article examines the human story behind these protests. It explores how farmers’ roles have changed from respected innovators and providers to a group caught between environmental demands, economic pressures and shifting societal expectations. Neoliberal policies, green regulations and new workforce patterns have precipitated an identity crisis among European farmers. Their protests are not just about money but also about deep-seated anxieties concerning their place in a rapidly changing world. Farmers struggle to balance traditions with new environmental imperatives, to maintain viable livelihoods in a global market and their unease with an increasingly diverse rural workforce. European farming is at a crossroads, pointing towards possible paths for a future.</p>","PeriodicalId":46293,"journal":{"name":"Anthropology Today","volume":"40 5","pages":"3-6"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1467-8322.12911","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142404158","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Victory Day in Russia: Performative patriotism and state discourse","authors":"Evgeniya Pakhomova","doi":"10.1111/1467-8322.12914","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1467-8322.12914","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Victory Day celebrations in Russia have frequently been characterized as a vehicle for state militarism, particularly in the context of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This article challenges the notion that the state is the sole proprietor of this national holiday. Drawing on recent ethnographies of Victory Day, the article argues that a trend towards patriotic performativity increasingly defines public celebrations. This trend has two outcomes: strengthening participants’ sense of national community while reinforcing statist discourse – even among the holiday's critics. By examining the relationship between the Russian state and Victory Day, the article illuminates the crucial distinction between a reiterated, performative victory and the realities of actual warfare. This analysis contributes to broader discussions on collective memory, state power and the role of public celebrations in shaping national identity in post-Soviet contexts.</p>","PeriodicalId":46293,"journal":{"name":"Anthropology Today","volume":"40 5","pages":"14-18"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1467-8322.12914","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142404165","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Front and Back Covers, Volume 40, Number 5. October 2024","authors":"","doi":"10.1111/1467-8322.12808","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1467-8322.12808","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Front and back cover caption, volume 40 issue 5</p><p>ALGORITHMIC POLICING & AI</p><p>This image captures Roberto J. González's exploration of algorithmic policing in America in this issue. Cameras survey a stylized urban landscape, symbolizing the pervasive reach of artificial intelligence in modern law enforcement.</p><p>González examines various technologies of surveillance: predictive policing platforms, facial recognition software and acoustic gunshot detection systems. Its algorithmic composition hints at the complex mathematical models underpinning these tools, which claim to forecast crime and identify potential offenders.</p><p>Below, the cityscape appears as a mix of physical structures and data points, blurring the line between the tangible world and its digital representation. This visual metaphor represents the technologies that are reshaping our understanding of urban spaces, often reinforcing existing patterns of surveillance and control in marginalized communities.</p><p>The ominous tone and starkness of the image echo the article's critical perspective on the unchecked expansion of algorithmic policing. The article raises questions about privacy, consent, and the potential for these systems to amplify biases and errors in law enforcement decisions.</p><p>The human stories behind these technologies – from wrongful arrests to community distrust – are often obscured by promises of efficiency and safety. This reminds us of the need for anthropological scrutiny of these roboprocesses and their impact on social fabrics.</p><p>The unseen digital infrastructure is increasingly shaping policing practices, reshaping the landscape of public safety and surveillance in America and beyond. This raises important questions about how venture capital, tech startups, and law enforcement agencies are transforming traditional notions of policing and civil liberties in the digital age.</p><p>Back cover caption, volume 40 issue 5</p><p>HANDS OF CHANGE: FARMER IDENTITY</p><p>This image of the weathered hands of a farmer, cradling rich soil, encapsulates the complex reality of modern European agriculture explored in Eimear Mc Loughlin's article. These hands, which have long symbolized the deep connection between farmers and the land they cultivate, now tell a more nuanced story of an identity in flux.</p><p>According to Mc Loughlin, the traditional image of the farmer is vanishing because of new pressures that are becoming more intense. These hands, once primarily engaged in the tactile work of cultivating crops and tending to animals bred for food, now increasingly grapple with spreadsheets, regulatory paperwork and the invisible constraints of global markets. The soil they hold represents not just the promise of growth, but also the weight of environmental concerns, stringent regulations and societal expectations.</p><p>Yet, this image also speaks to the enduring essence of farming that persists despite these challenges. It reminds us of the irr","PeriodicalId":46293,"journal":{"name":"Anthropology Today","volume":"40 5","pages":"i-ii"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1467-8322.12808","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142404170","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Stories behind numbers: Symbols in underground lottery gambling in Vietnam","authors":"Le Hoang Anh Thu","doi":"10.1111/1467-8322.12903","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1467-8322.12903","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This article explores the symbolic significance of numbers in Vietnam's underground lottery game, <i>đề</i>, based on ethnographic fieldwork in Ho Chi Minh City. It investigates how players interpret everyday events and dreams through numbers, creating a unique blend of personal and cultural symbolism. These number symbols function both publicly within the game's subculture and personally, resonating with broader anthropological discussions on the role of symbols in life narratives and cultural performances. By attaching numerical significance to mundane occurrences, players gain a sense of agency and foster shared cultural understanding. The article situates the lottery game within the broader context of Vietnamese culture, emphasizing the crucial role of numbers in daily life and calling for further exploration of numerical practices in Vietnamese society.</p>","PeriodicalId":46293,"journal":{"name":"Anthropology Today","volume":"40 4","pages":"13-16"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1467-8322.12903","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142158630","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"CHINA, EMPIRE AND WORLD ANTHROPOLOGY: A reply to Hamilton & Chang, AT 27(6)","authors":"Magnus Fiskesjö","doi":"10.1111/1467-8322.12906","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1467-8322.12906","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This comment critically examines the legacy of Chinese anthropologist Fei Xiaotong and its implications for understanding China's approach to non-Chinese peoples on the territory that became modern China. The author argues that Fei's concept of ‘pluralistic unity’ has been misinterpreted and actually represents a continuation of China's imperial ideology of absorbing conquered populations. The piece links this ideology to current Chinese policies, particularly the treatment of Uyghurs and other non-Chinese peoples. It contends that the Chinese Communist Party abandoned its original anti-imperialist stance in favour of continuing imperial practices, resulting in the transformation of multiple nations into nominal ‘minorities’ and then their erasure under the guise of national unity. The author calls for a reassessment of China's anthropology through the lens of colonialism, racism and imperialism, arguing that China's imperial legacy must be critically examined to understand its current policies and actions. The article situates this discussion within the broader context of emerging literature on Chinese settler colonialism. It emphasizes the need for a comparative approach in studying China's past and present imperialism.</p>","PeriodicalId":46293,"journal":{"name":"Anthropology Today","volume":"40 4","pages":"27-28"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142158636","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The worship of Dr Sousa Martins: Spiritual healing in Portugal","authors":"Emily Pierini","doi":"10.1111/1467-8322.12901","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1467-8322.12901","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This article examines the worship of Dr José Tomás Sousa Martins, a 19th-century physician revered as a lay saint and healer in Portugal, attracting devotees from diverse backgrounds. Some devotees come in search of healing and leave votive offerings at his statue in front of the NOVA Medical School in Lisbon. Others view him as a spirit guide who manifests through mediums in Umbanda practices and the healing rituals of the Spiritualist Christian temples of the Vale do Amanhecer in Brazil. Dr Sousa Martins bridges the domains of spirituality and biomedicine. This article explores the materiality of devotional practices through the circulation of things and images and the intersection of therapeutic itineraries in shaping places of worship. It examines how healing is sought through devotion during health crises, emphasizing the importance of the senses and religious and diagnostic images in devotees’ healing narratives.</p>","PeriodicalId":46293,"journal":{"name":"Anthropology Today","volume":"40 4","pages":"3-7"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1467-8322.12901","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142158633","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}