{"product_id":"unsettling-india-affect-temporality-transnationality","title":"Unsettling India: Affect, Temporality, Transnationality","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn this review of Unsettling India: Affect, Temporality, Transnationality, the reviewer finds a carefully argued academic book for readers who want a nuanced understanding of how India and Indianness move across borders. Based on over a decade of ethnographic fieldwork in New Delhi and the San Francisco Bay Area, this study offers the single biggest reason to read it: it reframes common homeland versus diaspora assumptions by tracking the persistent sense of unsettlement across everyday media and commodities. The book is best approached as a scholarly, interpretive text rather than a quick survey.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eKey Features\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEthnographic depth:\u003c\/strong\u003e Over a decade of fieldwork provides sustained, grounded examples from New Delhi and the San Francisco Bay Area that support the book's central claims.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTransnational lens:\u003c\/strong\u003e The analysis connects film, television, advertisements, and groceries as nodes that circulate meaning across national boundaries and reshape affective ties to India.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFocus on affect:\u003c\/strong\u003e The book foregrounds emotional and temporal dimensions of identity, helping readers understand how feelings of unsettlement persist and transform in different contexts.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMedia and commodity analysis:\u003c\/strong\u003e Case studies of Bollywood films, Hindi TV shows, and everyday commodities illustrate how cultural products mediate senses of homeland and belonging.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTheoretical contribution:\u003c\/strong\u003e By disrupting binary distinctions of homeland and diaspora, the book offers a productive conceptual reframing for scholars of migration, media, and cultural studies.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWho It's For\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book is aimed at graduate students, academics, and thoughtful readers interested in cultural anthropology, media studies, and transnational migration who want a detailed, theory-informed account of how affect and temporality shape identity across borders. Those seeking concrete policy recommendations or a beginner's overview of Indian media industries may find the focus on affect and ethnography less directly applicable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eScholars working on diaspora studies, film and television research, or cultural commodities will find the comparative fieldwork valuable, while general readers expecting a popular history or quick read should look elsewhere for a more accessible narrative.\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\u003eGrounded ethnography supports claims with sustained, place-based evidence from New Delhi and the San Francisco Bay Area.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eInterdisciplinary approach links media, commodities, and emotion, offering a broader view of transnational public cultures.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eConceptual reframing challenges simple homeland versus diaspora binaries in useful ways for scholarship.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCons\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe text is primarily theoretical and interpretive, which may limit its appeal to readers seeking prescriptive or policy-focused conclusions.\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\u003eUnsettling India: Affect, Temporality, Transnationality\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAuthor\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePurnima Mankekar\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eResearch locations\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNew Delhi and the San Francisco Bay Area\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMethod\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eEthnographic fieldwork and media analysis\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMain topics\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAffect, temporality, transnational public cultures\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCase studies\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBollywood films, Hindi TV shows, advertisements, groceries\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eOur Verdict\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnsettling India is a strong scholarly contribution that rewards readers who value close ethnography and conceptual clarity; it is particularly good value for researchers and students seeking a nuanced account of how cultural media and commodities circulate affectively across borders and unsettle simple diaspora narratives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDoes the book use original fieldwork?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYes. The analysis is based on over a decade of ethnographic fieldwork in New Delhi and the San Francisco Bay Area.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat media forms does it examine?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe book examines Bollywood films, Hindi TV shows, advertisements, and everyday commodities such as Indian groceries as interconnected nodes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs it accessible to nonacademics?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe writing is scholarly and theory-oriented, so general readers may find it dense compared with popular treatments of Indian media.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Purnima Mankekar","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48241607835867,"sku":"0822358220","price":117.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0724\/1043\/1707\/files\/71pjk3Wu5qL._SL1500.jpg?v=1770706164","url":"https:\/\/gearmusthave.com\/products\/unsettling-india-affect-temporality-transnationality","provider":"GearMustHave","version":"1.0","type":"link"}