Circulations: Place, Movement, Belonging

Abstract

This introduction to the special issue, ‘In(tangible) Circulations: Pathways of Sociality in Highland Asia,’ posits ‘circulations’ as a fundamental modus operandi of place-making and of forms of belonging that transcend geographical or physical boundaries. The notion of ‘circulations’ is conceived as the movement of material and intangible things and beings, the circuits of going forth and coming back, and their role in the continuous entanglements of people with their environment. These material and intangible movements generate what we call ‘pathways of sociality’ considered as sites for exchange that convey human relationships and values. Following these pathways compels us to look at circulations across worlds (human and non-human) and at different scales in their horizontal (societal) and vertical (spiritual) dimensions. The evolution of various circulations and the emergence of pathways contribute to the formation of relationships integral to people’s social landscape.