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Primary fields of research

My research evolves around gambling - both as a form of play and as an element of economy. My current research project "Gambling on Rains and Grains around a Desert-town of India" concerns how weather uncertainties forms the basis of various risk economies including gambling on rainfall, non-irrigated farming, and trade and hoarding of grains. The research is part of a collaborative project where we investigate the practices, imaginations and infrastructure behind different forms of escalations - of which I examine the processes of accelerating prices of commodities in gambling and in agricultural trade.

Furthermore, I am completing a book based on fieldwork at Delhi Race Club, which focus on various topics such as Hindu mythology, the history of horseracing and gambling law, perspectives on uncertainty and methods of prediction, sociality among gamblers, technologies for legal and illegal economies. The book suggests that in our approach to games we should not only focus on how games are designed and played, but how they might be played with, and the subsequent speculations that might entail.

Meanwhile, I am keeping an interest in movement, dance and embodied knowledge alive. This area of research is based on fieldwork among dancers in Delhi and research in the history of dance. As part of this research I take dance as a methodology of gaining embodied knowledge on topics such as gender and religion. Furthermore, I approach dance as an entry to the understanding of embodied cultural encounters and societal processes of change. 

Teaching

In my teaching I put emphasis on student participation, because I believe that we learn best by working with the teaching materiale ourselves. I thus integrate writing, dialogue, disussion of cases etc. which we work with on both off and online platforms, which gives the possibility for different forms of feedback.

Fields of interest

India and anthropology; Gambling, speculation, play and economy; Climate and agriculture; Hinduism, spirituality, movement and dance. 

Selected publications

1. Published

   Escalations: Theorizing Sudden Accelerating Change

   Højer, L., Kublitz, A., Puri, S. S. & Bandak, A. 2018 In : Anthropological Theory. 18, 1, p. 36-58 22 p., 2

   Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

2. Published

   Speculation: Futures and Capitalism in India

   Bear, L., Birla, R. & Puri, S. S. 2015 In : Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East. 35, 3, p. 387-391 5 p.

   Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

3. Published

   Relationships of chance: Friendships in a gambling setting of urban India

   Puri, S. S. 2016 In : South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies. 39, 1, p. 109-125 18 p.

   Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

4. Published

   Billeder på integration: Kulturmøder, samfundsforandringer og projektmetoder

   Petersen, A. M. & Puri, S. S. 2014 Aarhus: Systime. (Systime iBog).

   Research output: Book/Report › Book › Education

Selected activities

1. Betting on the Monsoon in Rajasthans Desert

   Puri, S. S. (Other)

   21 Apr 2017

   Activity: Talk or presentation › Lecture and oral contribution