Books for review

2026-07-09

SJSCA - the Swiss Journal of Sociocultural Anthropology reviews recent publications that make important theoretical or empirical contributions to anthropology. We have a particular focus on publications originating in the Swiss academic context. If you are interested in writing a book review, get in touch with the editor of the book review section, Anne Kukuczka (anne.kukuczka@uzh.ch) for a choice of book to review or take a look at our bookshelf for a selection:

2026

Bloom-Christen, Anna. 2026. Walking Together: Challenging Philosophical and Ethnographic Paradigms from the Ground Up. London: Routledge. https://www.routledge.com/Walking-Together-Challenging-Philosophical-and-Ethnographic-Paradigms-from-the-Ground-Up/Bloom-Christen/p/book/9781041071129

Calvão, Filipe, Bolay, Matthieu, Ferry, Elizabeth, eds. 2026. How Transparency Works: Ethnographies of a Global Value. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. https://www.cambridge.org/ch/universitypress/subjects/anthropology/social-and-cultural-anthropology/how-transparency-works-ethnographies-global-value

Dalmia, Katyayani, Grisard, Dominique, Kukuczka, Anne, eds. 2026. The Life of Beauty: Location, Experience, Methodology. Zurich and Geneva: Seismo Press. https://seismoverlag.ch/en/daten/the-life-of-beauty/

Larsen, Peter Bille and Bideau, Florence Graezer, eds. 2026. The Heritage, Creativity and Innovation Nexus: Critical Approaches and Interdisciplinary Perspectives. London: Routledge. https://www.routledge.com/The-Heritage-Creativity-and-Innovation-Nexus-Critical-Approaches-and-Interdisciplinary-Perspectives/Larsen-Bideau/p/book/9781032654935

Mostowlansky, Till, Muratova, Elmira, eds. 2026. Humanitarianism from Below?: Universalism and the politics of inhumanity. London: UCL Press. https://uclpress.co.uk/book/humanitarianism-from-below/

Santer, Kiri Olivia. 2026. The Borders of Responsibility: Migration Control in the Mediterranean Sea. Durham: Duke University Press. https://read.dukeupress.edu/books/book/3674/The-Borders-of-ResponsibilityMigration-Control-in

2025

Alajmi, Abdullah, Cantini, Daniele, Maffi, Irene, Melliti, Imed, eds. 2025. Social Anthropology in the Arab World: The Fragmented History of an Uncomfortable Discipline. New York and Oxford: Berghahn Books. https://www.berghahnbooks.com/title/AlajmiSocial

Bentley, Jenny. 2025. Guardians of Land and Water. Rituals, vulnerability, and Indigenous Belonging Among the Himalayan Mútunci Róng. Zürich: Seismo. https://www.seismoverlag.ch/de/daten/guardians-of-land-and-water/

Cretton, Viviane and Boscoboinik, Andrea, eds. 2025. Mountainscapes. Pathways and Mobilities in the Alps and Beyond. New York and Oxford: Berghahn Books. https://www.berghahnbooks.com/title/CrettonMountainscapes#

Debaene, Vincent. 2025. La source et le signe. Anthropologie, littérature et parole indigène. Paris: Seuil. https://www.seuil.com/ouvrage/la-source-et-le-signe-vincent-debaene/9782021588620

Eitel, Kathrin and Carsten Wergin, eds. 2025. Handbuch Umweltethnologie. Wiesbaden: Springer VS. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-658-45341-1?page=1#toc

Goodale, Mark. 2025. Extracting the future: Lithium in an Era of Energy Transition. Oakland: University of California Press. https://www.ucpress.edu/books/extracting-the-future/paper

Kesselring, Rita. 2025. Extraction, Global Commodity Trade, and Urban Development in Zambia's Northwestern Province: An Ethnography of Inequality and Interdependence. London: Bloomsbury Academic. https://www.bloomsburycollections.com/monograph?docid=b-9781350454323

Larsen, Peter Bille and Křížová, Markéta, eds. 2025. European University Legacies: Problematic Heritage and Contemporary Practice. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-european-university-legacies.html

Mazin, Hélène. 2025. Les exilés de la Roya. Enquête sur une solidarité submersive. Genève: Editions IES. (book available from SJSCA for postal delivery). https://www.hesge.ch/hets/la-hets-geneve/editions-ies/catalogue/les-exiles-la-roya

Motta, Marco. 2025. Life in the Cracks: Law, Violence, and Resistance in Haiti. New York: Fordham University Press. https://fordhampress.com/life-in-the-cracks-hb-9781531512446.html

Scheidecker, Gabriel. 2025. Beyond parents: The social world of early childhood and its developmental significance. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-032-05768-6

Stender Marie, Bech-Danielsen, Claus, Landsverk Hagen, Aina, Kobi, Madlen, Zhou, Ying, eds. 2025. The Routledge Handbook of Architecture and Anthropology. Contemporary Approaches to a Cross-Disciplinary Field. Oxon: Routledge. https://www.routledge.com/The-Routledge-Handbook-of-Architecture-and-Anthropology-Contemporary-Approaches-to-a-Cross-Disciplinary-Field/Stender-Bech-Danielsen-LandsverkHagen-Kobi-Zhou/p/book/9781032800158

Tošić, Jelena, Strasser, Sabine, Lems, Annika, eds. 2025. Re-Turns, Entanglements and Collaborations: Anthropological Experimentations (Vol. 50). New York and Oxford: Berghahn Books. https://www.berghahnbooks.com/title/TosicReturns

Wolf, Anna-Lena. 2025. Labor on the Line. Justice at Work on Assam Tea Plantations. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press. https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501783371/labor-on-the-line/