Dr. Sarah Besky

Biography

Sarah Besky is a Professor in the ILR School at Cornell University, specializing in Anthropology. Her research utilizes ethnographic historical methods to examine the intersections of inequality, nature, and capitalism in the Himalayas. She explores how materials and bodies acquire value under changing political and economic regimes, and analyzes diverse forms of labor that create and maintain value. Besky's articles have appeared in premier journals such as Cultural Anthropology, American Ethnologist, and American Anthropologist. Her book, "Darjeeling Distinction: Labor Justice and Fair-Trade Tea Plantations in India" (University of California Press, 2014), investigates the legacies of colonialism and their impact on contemporary market reforms that redefine concepts of labor, value, and place. Another notable publication, "Tasting Qualities: Past and Future of Tea" (University of California Press, 2020), integrates historical and ethnographic research within the tea industry, focusing on economic reforms in India. Additionally, she co-edited "Nature Works: Rethinking Labor on a Troubled Planet" (SAR Press, 2019), which convenes contemporary theoretical discussions related to posthumanism and enduring questions in political economy and labor. Besky is currently engaged in several projects, including a historical ethnography titled "Country: Agrarian Life at Plantation's Outsides," which examines material meanings from the British Empire.

Research Interests