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Talk On Debates in AnthropologyAuthor: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology
Talk On Debates in Anthropology is a monthly podcast of the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology in Halle (Saale), Germany. In each episode of this podcast, one of our two hosts, Christoph Brumann or Jovan Maud, talks to the guest about their publications, research, and current debates in the field of social anthropology. Language: en Genres: Science, Social Sciences, Society & Culture Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Labor on the Line w/ Anna-Lena Wolf
Episode 1
Friday, 5 June, 2026
In this episode, Jovan Maud talks to Anna-Lena Wolf about her book *Labor on the Line — Justice at Work at Tea Plantations in Assam, India*. The book examines the concept of justice in the context of tea plantations in Assam, India, and how different actors—including workers, managers and activists—have differing notions of justice. Anna-Lena conducted long-term field research in Assam, where she observed the complexity of notions of justice and how these are negotiated between different actors. She argues that justice functions differently at various levels, from the plantation to the nation-state, and that agency is not only about rebelling against oppressive structures but also about making decisions within them. During the discussion, Anna-Lena highlights the changes on the plantations, including the abolition of the Plantation Labour Act and the rise of smaller producers, which may not please workers employed on several plantations. Anna-Lena concludes by examining the wider implications of her research, including the potential to apply the concept of workplace justice to contexts beyond Assam's tea plantations.
