The body of power,the body of memory

Bioarchaeology is a relatively new and dynamic area of anthropological research, having grown out of the New Archaeology’s emphasis on understanding formation processes within a broader anthropological/behavioral context. Current bioarchaeological research is increasingly focused on questions of identity and social roles from the perspectives of agency and embodiment and with an emphasis on contextual interpretation, as illustrated by the edited volumes discussed in this review. The relevance of this bioarchaeology research extends to other areas of anthropological enquiry, especially when considering the importance of the body in power and identity construction in contemporary societies.     

Defending Empire at the United Nations: The Politics of International Colonial Oversight in the Era of Decolonisation

This article argues that, although anti-colonial delegations to the 1945 San Francisco Conference did not succeed in bringing all colonial territories under the umbrella of international trusteeship, the threat of expanding international oversight shaped the relationship between colonial governments and international organisations in powerful ways. By focusing on how the UN Special Committee on Non-Self-Governing Territories evolved as a de facto supervisory system for dependent territories, this article considers the ways that representatives at the United Nations defined dependency and self-government and explores the crusade that colonial governments led to justify imperialism in the post-war world. Through a consideration of the diplomatic actions of France, Great Britain and Belgium, this article explores the ways that colonial empires jointly mobilised to defend colonialism at the level of the United Nations. In the face of evolving supervisory mechanisms at the United Nations, the French, British and Belgian delegations joined forces in an attempt to expose some of the inherent contradictions in UN policy towards dependent populations, and to make the case that subject populations living in independent territories often endured worse conditions than those living in formal overseas empires.     

Irony made manifest: cultural contention and Córdoba’s Mosque-Cathedral

ABSTRACT

Córdoba’s Mezquita (“mosque”) has been the focus of much recent attention, following decisions that are both significant for the building’s future and indicative of larger issues in Spain. In March of 2016 a report concluded that the mosque-cathedral does not “belong” to anyone; that same month the Catholic Church, which administers the site, announced it will revert to “Mosque-Cathedral” in official literature after attempts to refer to the site as the “Córdoba Cathedral.” Efforts to change the name align with policy that forbids Muslim worship in the monument; the Church denied formal proposals requesting permission for such worship in 2004 and 2006, and tensions escalated in 2010 when Muslim visitors were arrested upon attempting to pray. A World Heritage Site for the express use of all peoples, the Mezquita and the contentions surrounding it are thus fraught with ironic meaning. This article examines the ironies of the space and the related debates that are both symbolic and symptomatic of more extensive tensions in Spain. Amid a broader context of terrorism, Islamophobia and the European Migrant Crisis, the medieval Mezquita engages with the present moment as Spain struggles with its heritage and its contemporary relationship with the Muslim world.     

Domesticating Barbie: An Archaeology of Barbie Material Culture and Domestic Ideology

A systematic examination of Barbie fashions, accessories, and playsets produced since 1959 reveals several distinct phases in the domestic symbolism associated with Barbie. Today, Barbie grocery shops, cleans house, cares for her young siblings, and assumes careers which fill nurturing and protective roles like those championed in traditional domestic ideology. Yet in the late 1950s, Barbie was conceived and marketed as a single career girl who did not do rough housework. This paper examines the range of clothing and accessories marketed alongside Barbie as a mechanism to trace the changes in Barbie's domestic image over nearly 40 years.     

Outsourcing the Business of Development: The Rise of For-profit Consultancies in the UK Aid Sector

While much attention has been paid to the ways in which the private sector is now embedded within the field of development, one group of actors — for-profit development consultancies and contractors, or service providers — has received relatively little attention. This article analyses the growing role of for-profit consultancies and contractors in British aid delivery, which has been driven by two key trends: first, the outsourcing of managerial, audit and knowledge-management functions as part of efforts to bring private sector approaches and skills into public spending on aid; and second, the reconfiguration of aid spending towards markets and the private sector, and away from locally embedded, state-focused aid programming. The authors argue that both trends were launched under New Labour in the early 2000s, and super-charged under successive Conservative governments. The resulting entanglement means that the policies and practices of the UK government's aid agencies, and the interests and forms of for-profit service providers, are increasingly mutually constitutive. Amongst other implications, this shift acts to displace traditional forms of contestation and accountability of aid delivery.