Infrastructure, Morality, Food and Clothing, and New Developments in Latin America

Volume 41 of Research in Economic Anthropology explores a wide range of topics, including the roles of money in social ties, moral concerns regarding money, commercial surrogate mothers, social welfare provision, the management of a communal fund, and a credit scheme's impact on women in Nigeria. It also focuses on two basic necessities of human life, food and clothing, examining a New Zealand food security initiative, a pre-owned clothing market in Hamburg, Germany, and a Muslim fashion retail business in Berlin. Finally, it analyzes contemporary developments in Latin America, including the larger fair trade movement and its manifestations and implications in Oaxaca, Mexico, the cost-effectiveness of the reintegration of ex-combatants in Colombia, and patron-client relations in Brazil.

Format: Hardback
Length: 304 pages
Publication date: 13 December 2021
Publisher: Emerald Publishing Limited

Research in Economic Anthropology, Volume 41, delves into a diverse array of topics that hold significant interest within the field of economic anthropology. The opening paper presents a groundbreaking approach to anthropological-economic infrastructural research, focusing specifically on the Thames Tideway Tunnel in London. This introductory piece sets the stage for the subsequent sections, which are interconnected by two overarching themes: the roles of money in shaping social connections among individuals and the ethical considerations surrounding these roles and applications of money in society.

The first section of the volume comprises four papers that explore these themes in various contexts. These papers examine the role of commercial surrogate mothers in Russia, the social welfare provisions in Pakistan, the management of a communal fund within a school alumni association in South Korea, and the impact of credit schemes on women in Nigeria. Each paper offers unique insights into the complex interplay between money, social relationships, and moral dilemmas.

Part two of the volume shifts its focus to two fundamental aspects of human existence: food and clothing. The papers in this section examine a New Zealand food security initiative that rescues "waste" food, the modern transformations of a pre-owned clothing market in Hamburg, Germany, and the Muslim fashion retail business in Berlin, the capital city of Germany. These investigations shed light on the ways in which economic practices and consumer trends intersect with cultural and religious beliefs, shaping the dynamics of food and clothing consumption.

The volume concludes with a third section that employs an anthropological lens to examine contemporary developments in Latin America. The papers in this section explore the broader fair trade movement and its specific manifestations and implications in Oaxaca, Mexico. They also analyze the cost-effectiveness of the reintegration of ex-combatants in Colombia and examine patron-client relations in Brazil, exploring how these relationships have been politically perceived and presented by domestic and foreign intellectuals and academics, respectively.

Through its comprehensive coverage of diverse topics, Research in Economic Anthropology, Volume 41, provides valuable insights into the complex interplay between economics, culture, and society. The volume offers a rich tapestry of perspectives, drawing from various regions and disciplines, and contributes to our understanding of the multifaceted dimensions of economic anthropology.

Weight: 628g
Dimension: 160 x 238 x 27 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781801174350