Sarah BeskyView profile
Professor
Sarah Besky is Professor of the Anthropology of Work in the ILR School at Cornell University , with affiliations to the Department of Anthropology. Her research employs ethnographic and historical methods to analyze intersections of labor, environment, and capitalism in the Himalayas, focusing on how materials and bodies acquire value under changing political-economic systems. Academic Background: Ph.D. in Anthropology from University of Wisconsin-Madison (2012) Key Research Themes: Environmental Anthropology, Economic Anthropology, Colonial Legacies, Plantation Systems, Agrarian Transitions Current Projects include a historical ethnography of Kalimpong and a multi-sited study of British imperial "estates." Her publications span journals like Cultural Anthropology , American Ethnologist , and Environmental Humanities , addressing topics from biodynamic agriculture to tea industry financialization. Publication Trends reveal interdisciplinary focus bridging anthropology of work , posthumanism , and colonial economic systems . She examines how historical plantation economies shape contemporary agrarian crises and affective labor markets. Media Engagement includes contributions to Scroll.in , Cultural Anthropology blog, and podcasts like Mergers & Acquisitions . Her work connects British colonial land systems to modern issues of climate anxiety and tourist-driven economies in South Asia.








