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The Anthropology of the State

A Reader

Akhil Gupta editor Aradhana Sharma editor

Format:Paperback

Publisher:John Wiley and Sons Ltd

Published:6th Dec '05

Should be back in stock very soon

This paperback is available in another edition too:

The Anthropology of the State cover

This innovative reader brings together classic theoretical texts and cutting-edge ethnographic analyses of specific state institutions, practices, and processes and outlines an anthropological framework for rethinking future study of “the state”.


  • Focuses on the institutions, spaces, ideas, practices, and representations that constitute the “state”.

  • Promotes cultural and transnational approaches to the subject.

  • Helps readers to make anthropological sense of the state as a cultural artifact, in the context of a neoliberalizing, transnational world.

"[This) volume's refreshing theoretical approach and range of empirical examples should make it a valuable teaching and reference book for all those concerned with the challenging questions posed by the state." Political Studies Review

“This is a nuanced, original framework for thinking about the state as a highly variable phenomenon of emergent world orders. With its expert selection of readings and comprehensive analysis, this volume is bound to become a standard reference and popular teaching tool.” George Marcus, University of California, Irvine


The Anthropology of the State will be an important resource for teaching and for introducing students to new questions in anthropology. This collection offers a nice balance of historical and contemporary writings and a lucid introduction that advances theoretical claims about the state with the help of ethnographic examples. Contemporary globalization and transnational systems that are redefining the functions of the state make this an opportune moment for a serious reexamination of the processes of governance.” Veena Das, Johns Hopkins University

“One key strength of the volume is its coherence and intertextuality…Recommended.” K. Brown, Brown University

ISBN: 9781405114684

Dimensions: 246mm x 172mm x 25mm

Weight: 762g

432 pages