The current issue of SJSCA – the Swiss Journal of Sociocultural Anthropology / Revue suisse d’anthropologie sociale et culturelle / Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Sozialanthropologie – brings together a timely collection of articles exploring the themes of vulnerability and migration. Since the first issue of Ethnologica Helvetica appeared in 1979, nearly half a century ago, the Swiss Anthropological Association has continued its mission to provide a forum for debate and to push the boundaries of anthropological theory and practice. This issue, the fourth published under the journal’s new stewardship, reflects our ongoing commitment to publishing two issues annually and to amplifying the voices of emerging scholars.
The special issue, guest-edited by Wiebke Wiesigel, Pascale Schild, Paola Juan, and Larissa da Silva Araujo – all early-career scholars –, critically engages the concept of reciprocal vulnerability. Their contributions reveal the entangled dynamics of violence and privilege, as well as the solidarities that emerge from fieldwork and academic labour. In an increasingly precarious research environment, marked by unspoken aggressions and structural exclusions – often borne disproportionately by young, Brown, Black, Indigenous, women, and queer researchers – this notion of reciprocal vulnerability urges a rethinking of ethics both in the field and within anthropology at large. By grounding their analyses in shared and relational experiences, the authors offer pathways toward new “practices and possibilities of solidarity in anthropology.”
The special feature on Migration, Representation, and Reflexivity, edited by Serjara Aleman, Federica Moretti, and Sara Wiederkehr, initiates an intergenerational dialogue on how forms of representation are shaped by political, decolonial, and ethical commitments. Through engaged and reflexive methodologies, the contributions seek to address longstanding misrepresentations and inequalities, while interrogating established disciplinary practices. We are especially pleased to present this collection under the journal’s new “Special Feature” format — an editorial initiative designed to spotlight shorter contributions drawn from research in progress. With another Special Feature already in development for the next issue, this format signals our ongoing commitment to creating space for emerging scholarly conversations. These projects are curated by the current research section, which continues its work of accompanying PhD candidates and early career researchers through the often complex stages of publication.
In the spirit of imagining a transformative anthropology, the final section of this issue features the Ascona Transformation Charter, an initiative spearheaded by the Interface Commission of the Swiss Anthropological Association, in collaboration with the European Association of Social Anthropologists. The 2024 Charter sets forth a series of principles, commitments, and values designed to prompt urgent reflection on anthropology’s role and responsibility amid today’s converging planetary crises. We are proud to contribute to this ongoing conversation and to offer the journal as a space for collective debate, critical engagement, and envisioning the future of the discipline.
Taken together, these contributions reaffirm the relevance of anthropological theory while foregrounding the importance of diversity in experiences, perspectives, and positionalities. SJSCA remains committed to making space for these voices and to nurturing the critical engagements that will shape the future of the field.
Lastly, we want to warmly thank several departing members of the board whose career paths are taking them in new directions. We extend our deep gratitude to Barbara Waldis, who contributed to multiple sections of the journal since 1998; to Sibylle Lustenberger, who led the Open Research section from 2019 to 2024; to Sylvain Besançon, who served as co-editor of the book reviews section between 2019 and 2024; and to Joanna Menet, who served as co-editor between 2021 and 2024. Thank you for your commitment and for sharing your expertise with us over the years.
Filipe Calvão and Matthieu Bolay, co-editors SJSCA