Material Encounters

This book explores the materiality of knowledge in the Pacific Islands, New Guinea, Australia, and Myanmar, focusing on how it is generated, acquired, and expressed through things and material forms of inscription. It also addresses processes of archiving, conserving, distributing, restricting, or dispersing materialized knowledge.

Format: Hardback
Length: 186 pages
Publication date: 24 October 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This groundbreaking and thought-provoking book offers fresh insights into the concept of materiality, a theme that has been central to work across and within the humanities and social sciences since the 1980s. The central focus of the chapters in this volume lies in exploring the materiality of knowledge that emerges through embodied encounters between people, places, and things in the Pacific Islands, New Guinea, Australia, and Myanmar. The authors delve into the intricate ways in which materiality mediates the processes of knowledge generation and acquisition in these contexts, as well as the ways in which it manifests itself through various forms of inscription, including charts, maps, journals, letters, reports, drawings, objects, human remains, legends, cartouches, captions, labels, marginalia, and notes. Furthermore, the essays address the complex processes by which materialized knowledge is archived, conserved, distributed, restricted, or dispersed, considering factors such as serendipity, excess, loss, silence, absence, and suppression.

This book is of immense interest to upper-level students, researchers, and academics in the fields of history, anthropology, and oceania studies. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of History and Anthropology, further testament to its academic significance and relevance. By examining the materiality of knowledge in these diverse regions, the book provides a rich and multifaceted understanding of the complex interplay between human experiences, cultural practices, and the physical world. It offers valuable insights into the ways in which knowledge is created, transmitted, and preserved, and sheds light on the ways in which materiality shapes our understanding of the past, present, and future.

In conclusion, this book is a must-read for anyone seeking to expand their understanding of the role of materiality in the humanities and social sciences. Its innovative approach, interdisciplinary nature, and rich empirical evidence make it an invaluable resource for scholars and students alike. By exploring the materiality of knowledge in different contexts, the book offers a fresh perspective on the complex and multifaceted nature of human experience and provides valuable insights into the ways in which we can navigate the challenges and opportunities of our increasingly material world.

Weight: 520g
Dimension: 246 x 174 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032494692