In his interview with Chemistry World, a publication of the Royal Society of Chemistry, ISG Professor Nicholas Shapiro discusses his research and analysis in an emerging subfield ‘Chemo-ethnography,’ which probes how chemistry impacts human culture. Additionally, Shapiro utilizes his research to support that an issue involves examining both the chemical and cultural context.
‘Chemo-ethnography is simply anthropology recognising that we can’t understand what it means to be human in the 21st century without thinking about modern chemistry,’ says Shapiro, who works at the UCLA Institute for Society and Genetics in California, US. ‘Chemistry suffuses so many different aspects of our social fabric, from what flavours and smells are deemed valuable and alluring, to the levels of persistent chemicals in our bodies.’
To read more about Shapiro’s work please click here.