We are thrilled to announce our 24th webinar led by the distinguished Prof. Arjun Appadurai (Goddard Professor of Media, Culture, and Communication, New York University). Join us as he explores earlier and recent theories on the global movements of labor, bodies, and commodities, shedding light on the circulation of forms that preceded the commodity flows. Prof. Brian Edwards (Dean and Professor, School of Liberal Arts, Tulane University) will provide commentary based on his collaborative research on port cities.

We are proud to partner with MES Mampad College for this event. Dr. Manzur Ali, the College Principal, will chair the session, while Divya Kannan (Shiv Nadar University) will moderate it. Don’t miss out on this engaging session! Register by scanning the QR code or sending an email to ishorekerala@gmail.com.

Abstract

I grew up in a generation of scholars influenced by Wallerstein, Gunder Frank, J. Abu-Lughod and other pioneers who tried to theorize transnational and transregional movements of labor, bodies and commodities. Much later in my scholarly career, the study of the links between bodies of waters began to draw global scholarly attention: oceans, rivers, lakes, ponds, as well as shores, coasts, and ports became visible to scholars of global processes. I was an early user of the term “flow” to describe the dynamics of globalization. In this lecture, I revisit their image of “flow” to rethink the circulation of forms, which often precedes and defines the flow of commodities.