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New Books in Anthropology

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This podcast is a channel on the New Books Network. The New Books Network is an academic audio library dedicated to public education. In each episode you will hear scholars discuss their recently published research with another expert in their field. Discover our 150+ channels and browse our 28,000+ episodes on our website: ⁠newbooksnetwork.com⁠ Subscribe to our free weekly Substack newsletter to ... more

PublishesDailyEpisodes1059Founded15 years ago
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Latest Episodes

My conversation with Nico Slate began with him reflecting on his own path into the study of historical connections between South Asia and the United States. We then moved to a wide-ranging discussion covering the importance of the transnational scale... more

I had a substantive conversation with Dr. Stephen Onyango Ouma, author of Africa Unbound: Decolonial Pathways to Sovereignty and Liberation (Brill, 2026). He explained that, despite achieving political independence, African countries still experienc... more

Museums often served nationalist and imperialist interests in the past, but the primary force in the 21st century is the market. Museum franchising—exemplified by the Louvre Abu Dhabi—is one of the most visible cases of the increasing entanglement of... more

The consequences of U.S. border policies through the experiences of Honduran migrants. Hondurans have been at the heart of some of the most visible migration phenomena in the last few years, as well as the direct target of anti-immigrant rhetoric and... more

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Recent Guests

Stephen Onyango Ouma
Author of Africa Unbound, Decolonial Pathways to Sovereignty and Liberation
Brill (publisher)
Episode: Stephen Onyango Ouma, "Africa Unbound: Decolonial Pathways to Sovereignty and Liberation" (Brill, 2026)
Beth Derderian
Author of Art Capital, Museum Politics and the Making of the Louvre Abu Dhabi
Brandeis University; Crown Center for Middle East Studies
Episode: Beth Derderian, "Art Capital: Museum Politics and the Making of the Louvre Abu Dhabi" (Stanford UP, 2026)
Amelia Frank-Vitale
Assistant Professor of Anthropology and International Affairs at Princeton University
Princeton University
Episode: Amelia Frank-Vitale, "Leave If You Can: Migration and Violence in Bordered Worlds" (U California Press, 2026)
Kristina Jonutytė
Author of the book discussed
Vilnius University; Cambridge University
Episode: Kristina Jonutytė, "Between the Buddha and the New Tsar: Urban Religion and Minority Politics at the Asian Borderlands of Russia" (Cornell UP, 2026)
Christina Schwenkel
Sociocultural anthropologist; author
University of California, Riverside
Episode: Christina Schwenkel, "Sonic Socialism: Crisis and Care in Pandemic Hanoi" (U California Press, 2025)
Sareeta Amrute
Associate professor focusing on race, caste, labor, and class in global tech economies
Parsons School of Design; New School; Data & Society Research Institute
Episode: Caste and Tech with Murali Shanmugavelan and Sareeta Amrute
Murali Shanmugavelan
Researcher addressing anti-caste perspectives in caste communication and technology studies
Data & Society Research Institute; School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS)
Episode: Caste and Tech with Murali Shanmugavelan and Sareeta Amrute
Greg Smits
Author of The Ryukyu Islands, A New History from the Stone Age to the Present
University of Chicago Press / author
Episode: Gregory Smits, "The Ryukyu Islands: A New History from the Stone Age to the Present" (U Chicago Press, 2026)
Nikita Kaur Simpson
Author of Tension, Mental Distress and Embodied Inequality in the Western Himalayas
SOAS, University of London
Episode: Nikita Kaur Simpson, "Tension: Mental Distress and Embodied Inequality in the Western Himalayas" (Duke UP, 2026)

Host

Dr. Miranda Melcher
Host of The New Books Network

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 136 ratings
  • Beautiful and Soothing

    Wonderful to feel connected and grounded in today’s troubling world.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Lily Scott - One Love
    United Statesa year ago
  • Good podcast; shame about the gambling ads

    Hi, i really appreciate this podcast, but think that running gambling ads is in questionable taste given the disproportionate impact of gambling on the marginalised

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Hugo JH
    Australiaa year ago
  • It's a common belief that if you can't explain something simpl, you don't understand it. That doesn't naturally lead us to deliver all knowledge for the lowest common denominator, but most maybe all, sources of information are being written for the person who won't understand it. This podcast has breaks from that bad habit. In a week I've heard ideas, sharpened from experience and repetition, delivered with thrust I've never met elsewhere.

    Audible
    5
    Nahvis
    United States4 years ago
  • mostly a podcast by experts for experts

    It's a common belief that if you can't explain something simpl, you don't understand it. That doesn't naturally lead us to deliver all knowledge for the lowest common denominator, but most maybe all, sources of information are being written for the person who won't understand it. This podcast has breaks from that bad habit. In a week I've heard ideas, sharpened from experience and repetition, delivered with thrust I've never met elsewhere.

    Audible
    5
    Jer
    United States4 years ago
  • Engaging and informative

    This podcast covers a wide range of books, and the conversations are really interesting.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    dkd84
    United States7 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

A few noted occasional glitches or mismatches in episode metadata or uploads, but not indicative of overall quality.
The show balances accessibility with depth, making complex topics engaging for a broad audience.
Some listeners wish for shorter, tighter episodes or fewer ads, but overall praise the scholarly interviews and book-focused format.
Listeners appreciate the breadth of new books and authors featured, with engaging conversations that are academically rigorous.

Chart Rankings

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Stephen Onyango Ouma, "Africa Unbound: Decolonial Pathways to Sovereignty and Liberation" (Brill, 2026)
Q: Could you introduce yourself to our listeners, your background, the work you do, and how you came to be interested in questions of decolonization?
I am a scholar focused on the intersection of African philosophy, political philosophy, and decolonial thought; my work revolves around the question of what it would mean for Africa to be truly free—economically, politically, and culturally—through debates about sovereignty and epistemic freedom.
Gregory Smits, "The Ryukyu Islands: A New History from the Stone Age to the Present" (U Chicago Press, 2026)
Q: Could you walk us through the three major phases of Ryukyuan political development?
Smits outlines three eras: an early, mostly paper kingdom focused on trade; a genuine centralized state in Okinawa that faced external pressure from Satsuma and Toyotomi; and a later theatrical empire where the Ryukyu court maintained a façade of independence while real power rested with Satsuma and indirect rule persisted.
Gregory Smits, "The Ryukyu Islands: A New History from the Stone Age to the Present" (U Chicago Press, 2026)
Q: What brought you to write this book?
Smits explains that a new comprehensive history was badly needed because earlier general histories were outdated, incomplete, and biased by later narratives; archaeology and DNA evidence have reshaped understanding of the deep past.
Nikita Kaur Simpson, "Tension: Mental Distress and Embodied Inequality in the Western Himalayas" (Duke UP, 2026)
Q: What did you uncover about the communities and contexts you studied that helped shape your understanding of tension?
She discusses the field sites, the Dolodhar region, the dynamics of household and neighborhood relationships, gendered expectations, caste, and how livelihood changes from land to tourism reconfigured intimate life and social inequality.
Nikita Kaur Simpson, "Tension: Mental Distress and Embodied Inequality in the Western Himalayas" (Duke UP, 2026)
Q: Could you start us off by introducing yourself a little bit and tell us why you decided to write this book?
Nikita explains her background as a medical anthropologist and how fieldwork among the Gadis in the Dolodar mountains shaped her inquiry into how everyday distress is lived, felt, and socialized, moving beyond simple idioms of distress to analyze the relational and structural factors behind tension.

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Frequently Asked Questions About New Books in Anthropology

What is New Books in Anthropology about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Accessible, idea-driven conversations with scholars and authors who explore how culture, development, and power shape everyday life across regions. Episodes frequently center on ethnography, colonial histories, labor, governance, and the politics of representation, often tying book themes to current social questions such as caste, migration, gender norms, and climate change. Notable strengths include rigorous intellectual framing, a clear bridge between scholarly work and real-world impact, and a bias toward deep-dive interviews with researchers and writers who publish broadly in anthropology and related fields.

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Which podcasts are similar to New Books in Anthropology?

These podcasts share a similar audience with New Books in Anthropology:

1. What's Left of Philosophy
2. Jacobin Radio
3. The Dig
4. The LRB Podcast
5. Arts & Ideas

How many episodes of New Books in Anthropology are there?

New Books in Anthropology launched 15 years ago and published 1059 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on New Books in Anthropology?

Recent guests on New Books in Anthropology include:

1. Stephen Onyango Ouma
2. Beth Derderian
3. Amelia Frank-Vitale
4. Kristina Jonutytė
5. Christina Schwenkel
6. Sareeta Amrute
7. Murali Shanmugavelan
8. Greg Smits

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