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Cited by 290Anthropological Studies and InsightsUrban and sociocultural dynamicsSocial Acceleration and Temporality

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 53 of the 54 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; 1 of the 10 sources its claims cite were checked for support.

Roads and Anthropology: Ethnographic Perspectives on Space, Time and (Im)Mobility

Open access
DALAKOGLOU, DIMITRIS, HARVEY, PENNY·2012·Mobilities
DOI 10.1080/17450101.2012.718426
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Abstract

The current text locates the anthropological study of roads within the wider context of studies on mobility and modernity. Besides introducing the articles of this special issue of Mobilities on roads and anthropology, this introduction also addresses some of the broader theoretical and epistemological implications of the anthropological perspective on roads, space, time and (im)mobility.

Overview

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

This introduction to a *Mobilities* special issue argues that ethnographic attention to roads reveals them as interfaces that disconnect as effectively as they connect, and that they are central to a social science of (im)mobility, differential speed, and modernisation. It frames the collected case studies against anthropology's historical avoidance of roads and against the "non-place" thesis.

Key findings

  • Roads "can disconnect as effectively as they forge connection"; too often they "fail to fulfil their promise" and "entrench the violent exclusions of established political and material orders."
  • The volume's contribution is to locate specific roads and their material/social relations "without needing to decide in advance on the ontology, the scale or the extension of such relations," working across scales from materiality to subjects, state to society, global capital to local communities.
  • The introduction summarises the issue's cases: Nielsen on road building in the Zambezi Valley, Mozambique (Chinese corporate capital and local workers, incomplete road materialities and wages re-materialised as houses or land); Klaeger on Ofankor's hawkers in Ghana and their engagement with differential speeds, rhythms and temporalities; Pedersen and Bunkenborg on the Sino-Mongolian border road as a "technology of distantiation" that makes the two sides less connected over time; Campbell on Brazil, where the colonial dream of a road fails to materialise and becomes a permanent project for state managers and rural Amazonian settlers, forging alliances between environmental activists and colonist farmers; Kernaghan on Peru's Eastern valleys, counter-insurgency against Shining Path and a US-sponsored cocaine-control project, where furrows and walls enabled often violent encounters; Harvey and Knox on an international highway connecting Peru and Brazil and the "materialities of promises"; Dalakoglou on socialist Albania's infrastructure fetishism and post-socialist spatial practices.
  • Against Augé's claim that motorways are archetypal non-places, the introduction argues such spaces "do have social significance, cultural dimensions and relations to reveal," and that roads are "as likely to manifest state uncertainty as state capacity."

Methods

  • This is an editorial introduction to a special issue of *Mobilities* on roads and anthropology; it introduces the collected articles and addresses broader theoretical and epistemological implications of an anthropological perspective on roads, space, time and (im)mobility.
  • It synthesises comparative ethnographies "from across the world" (Mozambique, Ghana, the Sino-Mongolian border, Brazil, Peru, Peru–Brazil, Albania) rather than presenting original fieldwork of its own.
  • It situates the collection historically, tracing anthropology's earlier commitment to "place-culture isomorphism" (Gupta and Ferguson) and citing Gluckman's 1958 Zululand bridge account as an antecedent, alongside Marxist and Situationist critiques of automobility (Debord, Lefebvre) and Augé's non-place.

Limitations

  • The paper states no limitations of its own.
  • Evident from the text: as an introduction it presents no primary data or systematic analysis, and its claims about individual cases are summaries of the other contributors' articles rather than independent findings.

Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1080/17450101.2012.718426

Cites

53 of 53 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Verification

Claims the paper makes

1 of 10 cited sources checked · 1 supported · 0 flagged

  • Findingown data

    Our comparative ethnographies from across the world show how roads can disconnect as effectively as they forge connection.

    “Within this wider purview, our comparative ethnographies from across the world show how roads can disconnect as effectively as they forge connection.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Findingreasoning

    People integrate roads into their daily lives, cutting the aspirational down to size as roads become just one of the possibilities or impediments to making a living in the hugely diverse circumstances in which they appear across the planet.

    “People integrate these ribbons of asphalt concrete into their daily lives, cutting the aspirational down to size as the roads become just one of the possibilities or impediments to making a living in the hugely diverse circumstances in which they appear across the planet.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Premisecitation

    Gluckman's classic account of the opening of a road bridge inaugurated an ethnographic interest in the kind of space where diverse social and cultural groups move, meet and interact.

    “With his classic account of the opening of a road bridge, Gluckman somehow inaugurated an ethnographic interest in this kind of space where diverse social and cultural groups move, meet and interact.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Gluckman 1958

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • Premisecitation

    Harvey and Knox argue that unruly forces are integral to the ways roads come to endure as enchanted sites of contemporary state-craft, despite their capacity to disappoint or generate negative consequences.

    “The authors argue that such forces are integral to the ways in which roads come to endure as enchanted sites of contemporary state-craft, despite their capacity to disappoint and/or the likelihood of generating negative consequences.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Harvey and Knox

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • Interpretationreasoning

    Ethnographic studies of roads can make a contribution to a more general social science of (im)mobility, differential speed, new landscapes, modernisation and networked infrastructures.

    “This brings us to a main point we want to make with this volume, namely the contribution that ethnographic studies of roads can make to a more general social science of (im)mobility, differential speed, new landscapes, modernisation and networked infrastructures.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim. 16
  • It may state two separate claims as one. 5

  • Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.

    Premisecitation

    These boundaries were of key significance to the rationalist separation of humanity into semi-sealed cultures, each identified with an apparently objectively identifiable location and set of cultural traits via a process termed place-culture isomorphism.

    “These boundaries were of key significance to the rationalist, separation of humanity into semi-sealed cultures, each identified with an apparently objectively identifiable location and set of cultural traits via a process that Gupta andFerguson (1992, 1997) termed place-culture isomorphism.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim1 of 2 sources checked
    • cites Gupta and Ferguson 1992 source
    • cites Gupta and Ferguson 1997

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • Probably not a substantial claim.

    Findingown data

    Roads inflect contemporary lives in ways shown by the ethnographic studies collected here.

    “Moreover, roads inflect our contemporary lives in other ways as the ethnographic studies collected here show.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • It may state two separate claims as one.

    Findingown data

    Roads too often fail to fulfil their promise and entrench the violent exclusions of established political and material orders.

    “Too often they fail to fulfil their promise, too often they entrench the violent exclusions of established political and material orders.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • It may state two separate claims as one.

    Findingnone given

    In all cases, roads emerge as interfaces, negotiating but also creating and consolidating boundaries and borders while transcending the limitations of prior relations in their promise of new found connectivity.

    “In all cases, the roads emerge as interfaces, negotiating but also creating and consolidating boundaries and borders while at the same time transcending the limitations of prior relations in their promise of new found connectivity.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.

    Premisecitation

    The planning and construction of a modern highway involves the accommodation of many competing interests and expectations.

    “Such controversies arise from the fact that the planning and construction of a modern highway involves the accommodation of many competing interests and expectations (Thévenot 2002).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Thévenot 2002 source

  • Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.

    Interpretationnone given

    Before the 1970s, if anthropologists were avoiding something, it was better characterised as the crossing of established spatial-cultural boundaries through which particular cultural groups were specified and contained.

    “If anthropologists were avoiding something, before the 1970s, it was perhaps better characterised as the crossing of established spatial-cultural boundaries through which particular cultural groups were specified and contained.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • It may state two separate claims as one.

    Interpretationreasoning

    Roads elicit powerful temporal imaginaries, holding out the promise or threat of future connectivity, while articulating political and material histories that often render these mundane spaces controversial.

    “They elicit powerful temporal imaginaries, holding out the promise (or threat) of future connectivity, while also articulating the political and material histories that often render these otherwise mundane spaces so controversial.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.

    Premisecitation

    Nielsen describes how road building in the Zambezi Valley, Mozambique involves a tense engagement between Chinese corporate capital and local road workers.

    “Thus, Nielsen describes how road building in the Zambezi Valley, Mozambique involves a tense engagement between Chinese corporate capital and local road workers; and he explains how the mystified incomplete road materialities and the fetishised incomplete wages are de-mystified and materialised by the Mozambican road workers in a different material entity: houses or land.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Nielsen

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • Probably not a substantial claim. The authors may not put it forward as true. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.

    Premisecitation

    Campbell asks what happens when the colonial dream of a road does not materialise as intended, becoming instead a permanent project for state managers and rural Amazonian settlers.

    “In the case of Brazil, Campbell asks what happens when the colonial dream of a road does not materialise as intended, and becomes instead a permanent project for both state managers but also rural Amazonian settlers.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Campbell

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence.

    Interpretationreasoning

    The thematic concerns of these ethnographies speak to a more general sense of promise and uncertainty associated with (auto)mobility and its association with modernisation, connectivity, growth, displacement, and circulation.

    “Roads are materially embedded in local particularities, but the thematic concerns that these ethnographies raise also speak to a more general sense of promise and uncertainty associated with the idiom and materiality of (auto)mobility and its association with issues of modernisation, connectivity, growth, displacement, circulation, etc.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: Roads are materially embedded in local particularities.

  • Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. The paper may give no reason why it holds.

    Interpretationnone given

    This regional focus provides the grounding of any ethnographic approach to roads since then.

    “This regional focus provides the grounding of any ethnographic approach to roads since then and readers may find the following studies useful additions to the articles and related bibliographies presented in this collection: Regarding Africa there are works from the southern Niger (Masquelier 1992(Masquelier , 2002)), Zaire (Fairhead 1994); Central African Republic (Giles-Vernick 1996) and”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • It may state two separate claims as one.

    Interpretationreasoning

    This theoretical shift was closely linked to events in the political arena which were in turn connected to the critical perception of auto-mobility and the infrastructures of post WWII capitalism.

    “This was closely linked to events in the political arena which were in turn connected to the critical perception of auto-mobility and the infrastructures of post WWII capitalism.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: The general turn in social science began in the late 1960s.

  • It may state two separate claims as one.

    Interpretationreasoning

    Airports, shopping malls and motorway service stations might be non-places to the passing traveller but they are replete with social relations, material histories, regulatory forces and reveal complex social and cultural dynamics.

    “For example, airports, shopping malls and motorway service stations might be non-places to the passing travellerbut they are replete with social relations, with material histories, with regulatory forces and when given the chance reveal complex social and cultural dynamics that bear close attention.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim. The paper may give no reason why it holds.

    Interpretationreasoning

    Today, many recent studies, including the articles concentrated in this issue, imply that supposedly non-places do have social significance, cultural dimensions and relations to reveal.

    “However, today, many recent studies, including the articles concentrated in this issue, imply that suchsupposedlynon-places do have social significance, cultural dimensions and relations to reveal.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.

    Premisereasoning

    They suggested psychogeography as an alternative technique to engage with urban spatialities.

    “For example, they suggested psychogeography as an alternative technique to engage with urban spatialities.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim.

    Premisenone given

    They document the diverse ways in which roads gather events and generate meaningful interactions and separations in diverse rhythms and differential speeds.

    “They document the diverse ways in which roads gather events, and generate meaningful interactions (and separations) in the diverse rhythms and differential speeds.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.

    Premisecitation

    Archaeology has long shown an interest in the study of roads, trails and paths.

    “However, one could not claim the same with respect to archaeology, a discipline that has long shown an interest in the study of roads, trails and paths.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Snead et al. 2010 source

  • Probably not a substantial claim.

    Premisereasoning

    The authors of the contributions to this special issue explore surprising worlds that roads generate, looking beyond the promise of connectivity to observe how relations are (un)made in and through these aspirational social infrastructures.

    “The authors of the contributions to this special issue explore some of these surprising worlds that roads generate, looking beyond the promise of connectivity to observe how relations are (un)made in and through these most aspirational of social infrastructures.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.

    Premisecitation

    The traces of these ideas can be found in Marc Auge's influential discussion of the non-place and his suggestion that motorways are archetypal non-places, lacking in social significance.

    “The traces of these ideas can be found in Marc Auge's influential discussion of the non-place (1995) and his suggestion that motorways are archetypal non-places, lacking in social significance (1995, pp. 73-77, 100, 106, 118).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Augé 1995

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. The paper may give no reason why it holds.

    Interpretationreasoning

    Anthropology traditionally devoted the majority of its research energy to describing populations and lifeworlds no longer visible in other disciplinary spaces more likely to be fascinated by the successes and failures of modern capitalist systems.

    “Anthropology traditionally devoted the majority of its research energy to describing populations and lifeworlds no longer visible in those other disciplinary spaces more likely to be fascinated by the successes and failures of modern capitalist systems.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. The paper may give no reason why it holds.

    Interpretationreasoning

    Such statements are indicative of a certain approach that dominated most anthropological research and discourse in the past.

    “Ethnocentric or not such statements are indicative of a certain approach that dominated most anthropological research and discourse in the past.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
21 of 21

  • The paper relies on this without support.

    In the majority of cases roads are constructed as public works.

    “Beyond the moral complexity of establishing the infrastructures as a 'public good'in the majority of cases roads are constructed as public worksthe realisation of such works involves financial, regulatory and technical relations that often fold international, national and local regimes into a single and specific location.”

  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The realisation of road works involves financial, regulatory and technical relations that often fold international, national and local regimes into a single and specific location.

    “Beyond the moral complexity of establishing the infrastructures as a 'public good'in the majority of cases roads are constructed as public worksthe realisation of such works involves financial, regulatory and technical relations that often fold international, national and local regimes into a single and specific location.”

  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The general turn in social science began in the late 1960s.

    “The background of this theoretical shift is the general turn in social science that began in the late 1960s.”

  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Roads are materially embedded in local particularities.

    “Roads are materially embedded in local particularities, but the thematic concerns that these ethnographies raise also speak to a more general sense of promise and uncertainty associated with the idiom and materiality of (auto)mobility and its association with issues of modernisation, connectivity, growth, displacement, circulation, etc.”
4 of 4

Citations

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

1 of the 54 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 17

  1. Appadurai A., 2000, Modernity at large
  2. Augé M., 1995, Non-places
  3. Barth F., 1964, Nomads of South-Persia
  4. Baudrillard J., 1970, America
  5. Bauman Z., 2000, Liquid modernity
  6. Castells M., 1996, The rise of the network society
  7. Hayano D., 1990, Road through the rainforest: living anthropology in Papua New Guinea
  8. Jameson F., 1984, New Left Review, 146, 52
  9. Löfgren O., 2004, Focaal, 43, 59
  10. Massey D., 2005, For space
  11. Miller D., 2001, Car cultures
  12. Moran E., 1981, Developing the Amazon: the social and ecological impact of settlement along the Transamazon highway
  13. Pina-Cabral J., 1987, Man (New Series), 22, 715
  14. Rao A., 1987, The other Nomads
  15. Selwyn T., 2001, Contested landscapes, 225
  16. Urry J., 2007, Mobilities
  17. Wollen P., 2002, Autopia

Cited by

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Metadata

Authors
DALAKOGLOU, D., & HARVEY, P.
Affiliations
University of Sussex (GB)
Corresponding author
DALAKOGLOU, DIMITRIS
Venue
Mobilities
Publisher
Informa UK Limited
Published
2012-11
Volume
7
Issue
4
Pages
459-465
ISSN
  • 1745-0101 (ISSN-L)
  • 1745-011X
DOI
10.1080/17450101.2012.718426
OpenAlex
W2049694277
Cited by
289
References
54
Citations by year
2026: 10 · 2025: 21 · 2024: 26 · 2023: 24 · 2022: 28 · 2021: 21 · 2020: 36 · 2019: 33 · 2018: 32 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 17 · 2015: 11 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 2
FWCI
18.58
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Mobilities (publishedVersion)
  • Research Explorer (The University of Manchester) (publishedVersion)
  • Sussex Research Online (University of Sussex) (submittedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • VU Research Portal (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Anthropology › Anthropological Studies and Insights
  • Social Sciences › Urban Studies › Urban and sociocultural dynamics
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social Acceleration and Temporality
Keywords
roads, mobility, immobility, space, time, modernity

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