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Short abstract:

Our research studies the planetary phenomena of air, while complicating its broadness and universality. To do this we explore how air in two remote places may allow for collaborative connections - such that air emerges as pollution in Delhi, India and as wind in Chubut, Argentinian Patagonia.

Long abstract:

This presentation is a result of how our individual anthropological research on air pollution and climate change in India and environmental and political aspects of sheep farming and industrial wool production in Patagonia, made us think through each others work about the manifestations of airy materials as pollution in Delhi, India and wind in Patagonia, respectively. Through these engagements we offer a way to think about asymmetrical attunements to two remote versions of air that remain incommensurable and yet co-exist in a dynamic planetary atmosphere.

We believe that our presentation presents new ways to anthropologically explore the contemporary world by focusing on air and its divergent manifestations that impact the local socio-political lives of people in two parts of the world. Significantly, this is based on our ability to think through each other's work to understand the specificities of our individual field sites and how anthropologists can collaborate and learn from each other's work through varied manifestations of air.