Taking inspiration from the approach of heterosexuality as a political regime, as proposed by lesbian feminism and queer theories, this study starts from the premise that mononormativity (Porto, 2018) permeates the legal apparatus of the state and, simultaneously, transcends it, imbuing social relations and cultural practices in ways not always evident. Building on this intuition, I begin this reflection with an analysis of the gaps in the legal sphere of monogamy in Brazil. Next, I present an analysis of the interactions between the state and monogamy in the context of educational and public health policies. From this discussion, I address the tendency toward the monogamization (Rothmüller, 2021) of relationships during the Covid-19 pandemic and the representation of relational dissidences as threats to the moral order of society. Finally, I propose an analysis of the criminalization of youth culture in the suburbs of Salvador, Bahia, as an example of the consolidation of monogamy as an implicit component of public order policy.

Article by Pablo Pérez Navarro, illustrated by Patrícia Palma

https://theanthro.art/sexuality-and-public-order-navigating-mononormativity-in-contemporary-brazil-pablo-perez-navarro/

Words, in addition to their declarative or descriptive formats, also have a performative character – they do not exclusively serve the purpose of reporting what is done, but also serve to do so. What is the importance of language in the daily life on the outskirts of Lisbon? I intended to understand how language, on the one hand, is articulated with the contexts of exclusion and inequality that structure the urban condition and, on the other, functions as a mechanism for the construction of a collective identity, social inclusion, and resistance. Using semi-structured interviews with young people from precarious and racialized neighborhoods of the Sintra Train Line and combining them with my own familiarity on the ground, I will try to show that local communities are not reduced to passive receptacles of the contexts of oppression imposed on them, and it is imperative to recognize the residents themselves as protagonists of the urban struggle.

Article by Madalena Galrinho, illustrated by Lídia Belchior

https://theanthro.art/the-importance-of-words-in-the-everyday-life-of-the-suburbs-of-lisbon-madalena-galrinho/

This article aims to address the intimate relationship between bureaucratic violence in Portugal against irregular Brazilian immigrants and social inequality. The situation of irregularity limits immigrants’ access to the spheres that make up public life in society and simultaneously restricts their opportunities and working conditions in the host country. To carry out a solid ethnographic article, the life stories method was used in conjunction with formal and informal interviews. Thus, through interviews focused on the migrant experience of these women and theoretical analysis, it was possible to understand how the precarity of the irregular period constitutes a catalyst for social exclusion and segregation of this specific migrant group, Brazilians in Portugal.

Article by Ana Luiza Silva Miranda, illustrated by Noa M.

https://theanthro.art/the-intimate-relationship-between-bureaucratic-violence-and-social-inequality-with-irregular-immigrants-in-portugal-brazilian-women-labor-precarity-and-xenophobia-ana-luiza-miranda/

Evidence gathered since the late 2000s has suggested that a part of the working class goes through episodes of poverty without becoming chronically poor. Drawing on a project conceived to capture successful movements that escape severe or extreme destitution and deprivation and based on an ethnography with 28 families in two public housing estates in the metropolitan area of Lisbon, this article will start by exposing how poverty emerged in their lives, under what conditions it was possible to overcome it, and how they identify the positions they have conquered within structures of inequalities and social hierarchies.

Article by José Cavaleiro Rodrigues, illustrated by Animal Waves

https://theanthro.art/from-images-to-social-identities-stories-of-working-class-families-on-the-move-jose-cavaleiro-rodrigues/

In today’s digital age, cloud storage has become increasingly prevalent, fundamentally altering how we manage and interact with data ownership. While corporate entities have traditionally relied on cloud storage for large-scale data management, personal data storage has recently migrated to the cloud, emerging as a primary means of storing various virtual assets. This shift towards personal cloud storage reflects a broader cultural trend towards digitalization and convenience. However, it also underscores the challenges of digital clutter and data accumulation on a personal level. Through interviews and observation, this research delves into the reasons behind our tendencies to continuously accumulate digital assets and explores their ecological consequences. Emotional attachments and subscription plans emerge as significant drivers of digital clutter. Furthermore, amidst the unsettling trend of corporate dominance over data, the article advocates for a more conscientious and sustainable approach to managing digital possessions. Drawing on diverse theories and environmental discourse, it emphasizes the importance of striking a balance between personal convenience and ecological responsibility.

Article by Liana Gheorghiu, illustrated by Andreea Moise

https://theanthro.art/on-digital-clutter-understanding-our-relationship-with-the-new-cloud-of-unknowing-liana-gheorghiu-illustration-by-andreea-moise/

There is almost a poetic appeal to crafts that render them timeless. Crafts such as textiles maintain continuity, in contrast to trends, like fashion. Textile practice provides thus established codes for interpreting local culture. In doing so, they inhabit their environment in a caring and conscious way. That’s why it should come as no surprise that craftspeople think differently about sustainability than designers or managers. Their practices are deeply embedded in the territory and strongly connected to aspects of place, materiality and social context. At the same time, a large part of this knowledge about sustainability is tacit – this means it can be hardly articulated using language. It is rather embedded in gestures of working with and through materials, aspects which are difficult to understand, measure and capture. So, what can we learn about sustainability from craftspeople using the lens of gestures? In my project, I take up the challenge of exploring this further by adopting metaphor theory as an entry point into better understanding and capturing textile artisans’ vision of sustainability, in order to elicit and communicate it in a comprehensive way to audiences. Conceptual metaphor theory is the field that looks at how we understand abstract concepts using metaphors. To do this, I set up an interdisciplinary method that borrows methods from linguistics, dance theory and ethnography to map metaphoric gestures of textile artisans across Europe. My field research (March-July 2024) includes case studies in my home country, Romania, but also other European countries. Expected results are both theoretical/conceptual (novel interdisciplinary framework for mapping gestures) as well as applied (a final exhibition of the textile designers’ work using collected data to present them in an immersive and comprehensible way to the public).

Article by Ruxandra Lupu, illustrated by Dariana Ilie

https://theanthro.art/an-anthropology-of-gestures-shifting-narratives-about-sustainability-in-textile-crafts-through-the-lens-of-metaphor-theory/

The role of water in rural Moldova transcends its physical properties as a vital substance to become a poignant reflection of the broader socio-economic, political, and environmental dynamics at play in post-Soviet rural life. Against a backdrop of historical disinvestment, both during the Soviet times and in their aftermath, the article explores the ways in which residents of a village in the north of Moldova navigate water insecurity. Through a delicate balance of waiting for official intervention from the local administration and resorting to self-reliant strategies, they meet their everyday water needs with resourcefulness and endurance. When the village hall launched the construction of an infrastructural initiative that would provide access to piped water to every household in the village, the promise of a long-term solution to the problem imbued locals with hope. However, when the construction work was put on pause, villagers found themselves suspended between the all-too-familiar struggles of fulfilling their daily water needs and the collective imaginary of a better future. While they wait for water to reach their taps, they resort to creative bricolages such as makeshift pumps and rainwater collection barrels. Yet, amidst these adaptive measures lies a pervasive sense of uncertainty, perpetuated by the rumours and hearsay that surround the stalled water project. These narratives not only serve as coping mechanisms but also fuel collective demands for accountability and transparency from local authorities.

Article by Olga Bostan, illustrated by Amandine Bănescu

https://theanthro.art/one-drop-at-a-time-on-waiting-for-water-in-rural-moldova/

Land grabbing is a widely talked-about subject in political debates yet at the same time little understood in the context of Eastern Europe. Seeking to shed light on this complex issue, my research delved into the mechanisms of land grabbing while also uncovering forms of peasant resistance. During the summer of 2023, I did my fieldwork in the nearby villages of Huedin, Romania, where I engaged in participant observations at local peasant markets and I conducted interviews with a diverse array of people, including peasants, advocates for food sovereignty, and municipal authorities. At the heart of my investigation lies the notion of environmental justice. My fieldwork revealed that land grabbing is perceived as a form of injustice, with many of the interviews pointing to abuses of power, and elusive forms of violence that facilitate land grabbing. Another important insight of my fieldwork pertains to the role of traditional commons in resisting land grabbing, alongside the emergence of innovative initiatives like ALPA – Access to Land, which employs the concept of land banks to secure access to land for the next generation of young peasants.

Article by Hestia Delibas, illustrated by Diana Branzan

https://theanthro.art/under-the-radar-shedding-light-on-local-land-grabs/

It is often remarked that the Danube Delta is so captivating that those who visit once are inevitably drawn to return (Fănuș Neagu – writer, 1963). If this holds true, a similar sentiment can be extended to the village of Sfiștofca. For me, the history of Sfiștofca serves as a compelling illustration of how sustainable traditional practices thrive solely within the natural environment that surrounds a community. Guided by profound practical knowledge and a distinct “territorial identity” (Mihăilescu, Nahorniac), Sfiștofca emerges as an exemplary socio-ecological relationship, wherein villagers possess the autonomy to steward their local natural resources. However, when changes in the structure and ownership of their natural surroundings occur, the village embarks on a path of decline.

Article by Ioana Savin, illustrated by Erika Nagy

https://theanthro.art/forbbiden-sustainability-the-case-of-an-ecological-restoration-project-in-the-danube-delta-biosphere-reserve/

We are currently living in a world surrounded, trespassed, and organized by multiple uncertainties. Speaking of sustainability today implies to situate, temporally and spatially, the needs that a given society has, as well as the path to cover such needs. To build a world where many worlds fit, we need people who can accommodate multiple worlds inside themselves. Empathy is a matter of intimacy. The more intimacy we share, the more we can recognize in each other, no matter how distant we might appear to be. Sustainability is about building peace in a globalizing world.

Article by Soledad Jiménez-Tovar, illustrated by Noa Simões

https://theanthro.art/sustainability-as-empathy/