Biosocial Worlds offers a series of anthropological reflections on the relations between human and non-human life. Arguing against a traditional separation of the ‘biological’ and ‘social’, the book explores the spaces in between, with a view to rethinking ‘the biosocial’. The chapters engage with constructions of health and disease in different environments, embracing a more-than-human and biosocial perspective to encourage anthropological engagement with biology beyond deterministic projections.

Of particular relevance to AMR research is Jens Seeberg’s chapter on the biosocial dynamics of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in India, from a bacterial perspective. He explores the failure of Directly Observed Therapy (DOTs) in terms of interrupted exposure (or contamination) of bacteria to TB treatment, rather than standard public health explanations of inappropriate protocols and, defaulting and non-compliance. Through this analysis, he moves beyond a focus on individual behaviour, to highlight the political economy of health systems and treatments, and their contribution to the development of drug resistance.

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