Why should the figure of the middleman matter for scholars of global health? The short answer is: they are impossible to avoid. The long answer is as follows: Throughout the twenty-first century, claims have circulated that the global pharmaceutical supply chain is awash with fakes, and these claims sparked our curiosity. For nearly a decade, […]
Somatosphere welcomes you to the June edition of “In the Journals.” Scroll through our monthly round up of new research across anthropology, STS and social science journals. American Anthropologist Positioning Ontologies of Racial Inequity That are Prevalent in Reproductive and Maternal Health in South Africa Efua Prah This paper discusses the racialized historical trajectories through […]
A workshop report of Symbiotic Viruses, convened by Benjamin Hegarty and Frédéric Keck, and held at the Collège de France and Paris Institute for Advanced Study, 4-5 March 2025 1. The virology of history The idea that viruses might be addressed as potential allies in human health is a tantalising yet troubling prospect. In the aftermath […]
Get it out: On the Politics of Hysterectomy by Andréa Becker (New York University Press: 2025) Hysterectomy is the most common gynecological procedure worldwide, yet until recently only one book, written by Jean Elson in 2003, has previously taken it as its central focus, reflecting a dominant narrative that obscures the diversity of its interpretations. […]
