{"product_id":"a-moral-technology-electrification-as-political-ritual-in-new-delhi","title":"A Moral Technology: Electrification as Political Ritual in New Delhi","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn this review of A Moral Technology readers interested in urban studies and the politics of infrastructure will find a thoughtful anthropological account that reframes electrification as ritual rather than merely a technical or economic process. Leo C. Coleman follows the grids, wires, and public utilities of New Delhi to show how electric light and infrastructure become moral and political symbols; the book is best for those seeking a nuanced, qualitative study rather than a how-to manual on engineering or policy prescriptions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eKey Features\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAnthropological lens:\u003c\/strong\u003e Coleman uses ethnographic evidence to reveal how electrification operates as a set of social practices and moral expectations in New Delhi.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFocus on symbolism:\u003c\/strong\u003e The book explains how electric lights and infrastructure mark places of power and serve as visible political promises.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHistorical perspective:\u003c\/strong\u003e Coverage across the past century situates contemporary grids within colonial, national, and global contexts.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eUrban utility case study:\u003c\/strong\u003e Detailed attention to an urban public utility shows how material networks become objects of moral concern for citizens and officials.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTheoretical contribution:\u003c\/strong\u003e Recasts electrification as ritual action, offering a conceptual shift for scholars of technology and society.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWho It's For\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book is ideal for scholars and students of anthropology, urban studies, science and technology studies, and political sociology who want a deeply contextualized study of infrastructure in a major South Asian city. It will also appeal to practitioners and policy researchers interested in the social meanings that surround service delivery and public utilities.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReaders seeking technical engineering manuals, practical guides to grid construction, or quantitative economic analysis should look elsewhere; this is a qualitative, interpretive work focused on meaning, ritual, and political communication rather than specifications or implementation details.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003ePros \u0026amp; Cons\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePros\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProvides a clear, original framework by treating electrification as a moral and ritual practice.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGrounded in urban ethnography, offering concrete observations from New Delhi's public utility networks.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eConnects historical, national, and global dimensions to local experiences of electric light and infrastructure.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCons\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLimited appeal for readers seeking technical or policy-oriented solutions, since the emphasis is interpretive rather than prescriptive.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTitle\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eA Moral Technology: Electrification as Political Ritual in New Delhi\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAuthor\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLeo C. Coleman\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSubject\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAnthropology of technology and urban electrification\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eGeographic focus\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNew Delhi, India\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eApproach\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eEthnographic and historical analysis\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePrimary theme\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eElectrification as moral and political ritual\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eOur Verdict\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA Moral Technology is a valuable read for those who want a conceptual rethinking of infrastructure and public utilities; Coleman convincingly shows how electric grids are lived, judged, and performed in urban life. Its interpretive depth makes it good value for scholars and students who care about meaning and politics more than technical design.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs this a technical manual on electrical engineering?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNo. The book is an anthropological study focused on social meaning and political ritual, not engineering specifications.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDoes it cover historical context?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYes. Coleman situates electrification in colonial, national, and global histories across the past century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWho will benefit most from reading this book?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eResearchers and students of anthropology, urban studies, and science and technology studies will gain the most from its arguments about infrastructure and moral concern.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Leo C. 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