PhD Student, Johns Hopkins University
Contributor, Platypus, The CASTAC Blog
About Sophie
Sophie is a PhD student in Anthropology at Johns Hopkins University. Her research focuses on industrial toxicity, agricultural labor, and household care in Guadalajara, Mexico.
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Contributions to Platypus, The CASTAC Blog
View all of Sophie's posts on Platypus, The CASTAC Blog.
Audio Ethnographies of Water from Latin America: Confluences of the Domestic
Much of the water that enters homes in metro Guadalajara, Jalisco is toxic. Water from the tap is used to wash dishes and water plants, but for decades it’s been dangerous to drink. In this sonic ethnography, we hear contaminated water hitting plates used for a meal and evaporating from vegetables as a pan heats on a stove. A woman explains which brands of bottled water are safer, more trustworthy; some, she says, are appropriate for drinking, while others should only be used to wash vegetables. We hear bodies of water referred to as both rivers and sewers. (more…) (read more...)