Patrick S D McCartney
Patrick is principally an archaeologist with training in classical philology, anthropology, sociolinguists and computational social science. He works at the intersection of the politics of imagination, the economics of desire, the sociology of spirituality and the anthropology of religion.
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3222-9366
The Completed PhD (2016), titled "Shanti Mandir: Authenticity, Emotion and Economy in a Yoga Ashram." This dissertation explores the symbolic capital of Sanskrit within the contexts of the trans-global yoga, spiritual tourism and pilgrimage industries, along with Hindu nationalism and the spoken Sanskrit revival movement. With a case study located in Gujarat, India, the aim is to understand how individuals gain legitimacy within this social network by negotiating access and ascension into various hierarchies based on the exchange and accumulation of different species of capital within an emotional economy.
Thanks to the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), between 2017-19, Patrick is hosted at the Graduate School for Global Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Japan. During this time, Patrick explores the marketing rhetoric of the global yoga industry and the Indian state, in relation to the Japanese yoga industry. This research is situated within an ethnographic framework; and explores what makes yoga in Japan particularly Japanese. This project, within the field of yoga studies, seeks to add to the growing body of knowledge relating to yoga beyond the focus on the global north and western influence. For more information: http://www.yogascapesinjapan.com/.
If you, or anyone you know, are engaged in similar research, please contact me at: psdmccartney@gmail.com.
The evolution of this research is titled: "From Individual Wellbeing to Global Wellbeing: The Moral Economy of Yoga Tourism and Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals across the Global South." For more information: https://www.yogascapesinjapan.com/yogascapes-20---yogascapes-across-the-global-south.html.
Supervisors: Prof McComas Taylor, Prof Assa Doron, and Prof Alan Rumsey
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3222-9366
The Completed PhD (2016), titled "Shanti Mandir: Authenticity, Emotion and Economy in a Yoga Ashram." This dissertation explores the symbolic capital of Sanskrit within the contexts of the trans-global yoga, spiritual tourism and pilgrimage industries, along with Hindu nationalism and the spoken Sanskrit revival movement. With a case study located in Gujarat, India, the aim is to understand how individuals gain legitimacy within this social network by negotiating access and ascension into various hierarchies based on the exchange and accumulation of different species of capital within an emotional economy.
Thanks to the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), between 2017-19, Patrick is hosted at the Graduate School for Global Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Japan. During this time, Patrick explores the marketing rhetoric of the global yoga industry and the Indian state, in relation to the Japanese yoga industry. This research is situated within an ethnographic framework; and explores what makes yoga in Japan particularly Japanese. This project, within the field of yoga studies, seeks to add to the growing body of knowledge relating to yoga beyond the focus on the global north and western influence. For more information: http://www.yogascapesinjapan.com/.
If you, or anyone you know, are engaged in similar research, please contact me at: psdmccartney@gmail.com.
The evolution of this research is titled: "From Individual Wellbeing to Global Wellbeing: The Moral Economy of Yoga Tourism and Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals across the Global South." For more information: https://www.yogascapesinjapan.com/yogascapes-20---yogascapes-across-the-global-south.html.
Supervisors: Prof McComas Taylor, Prof Assa Doron, and Prof Alan Rumsey
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I made it to show people some sort of development in the performativity and how similar and different, but more importantly, spectacular these displays are.
CV by Patrick S D McCartney
Recently Published Articles by Patrick S D McCartney
Yoga and Buddhism significantly contribute to sustainable development by fostering cultural diplomacy and enhancing wellness tourism, helping countries like India and China build national brands and expand their global
influence. However, challenges such as over-tourism, social inequalities, and the commodification of spiritual practices hinder their potential. For instance, a 15% rise in visitors to Rishikesh (2019–2022) led to increased waste and a decline in water quality, while global sales of yoga accessories highlight tensions between economic benefits and cultural preservation. The study recommends integrated strategies like visitor caps, eco-friendly practices, and accessible wellness programs to align with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This research offers actionable insights into balancing growth, inclusivity, and sustainability in leveraging yoga and Buddhism for development.
McCartney, Patrick S.D. 2023. "Yoga's Own "N-word" and Afrakan-Inspired Yogic Ethnostates: Kemetic Yoga and “Not Fucking Around” with Colonizing Yogaland’s Newest Frontier." In Annual Review of the Sociology of Religion, edited by Lionel Obadia and Enzo Pace, 124–158. Leiden: Brill. https://www.doi.org/10.1163/9789004686250_008
https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/RDT6G
https://osf.io/rdt6g/
Contents
Introduction
Ancient Links
Revival of Pre-Vedic Culture through the Vedic and Post-Vedic
Historical and Contemporary Sociolinguistic Issues related to Sanskritization
Cultures
Anthropology of Vedic Revivalism
Nineteenth- and Twentieth-century Revivalism, Vedic Science, and
Vedic Creationism
Popular and contemporary examples of Vedic Revivalism
Vedic Tourism, Vedic Management, Vedic Governance, and Vedic Economics
McCartney, P.S.D. & D. Lourenço. 2023. ‘Non-human gurus’: yoga dolls, online avatars and meaningful narratives. In Gurus and Media:
Sound, image, machine, text and the digital. Edited by Copeman, J., Longkumer, A. and Duggal, K. (eds). 2023. London: UCL Press, pp. 95–124. https://doi.org/10.14324/111.9781800085541
Nayantara Sheoran Appleton and Caroline Bennet, eds. Methods, Moments, and Ethnographic Spaces in Asia
Asian Ethnology 82/1
https://asianethnology.org/articles/2418
https://journalofyogastudies.org/index.php/JoYS/article/view/JoYS.2023.V4.06
MCCARTNEY, Patrick. Poles apart? From Wrestling and Mallkhāmb to Pole Yoga. Journal of Yoga Studies, [S.l.], v. 4, p. 215 – 270, apr. 2023. ISSN 2664-1739. Available at: <https://journalofyogastudies.org/index.php/JoYS/article/view/JoYS.2023.V4.06>. Date accessed: 12 apr. 2023.
https://edizionicafoscari.unive.it/en/edizioni4/riviste/bhasha/2022/1/sanskrit-speaking-villages-faith-based-development/
Originally published in the Wire https://thewire.in/society/as-modi-dreams-of-becoming-worlds-yoga-guru-where-are-indias-yoga-dolls
It is a short extract from a larger peer-reviewed book chapter.
McCartney, Patrick, and Diego Lourenço. forthcoming. "‘Non-human gurus’: Yoga dolls, online avatars, and meaningful narratives." In Gurus and Media, edited by Jacob Copeman, Arkotong Longkumer and Koonal Duggal. London: UCL Press.
The blog for the project is: https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/gurusandmedia/about-the-exhibition/
DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/QWMND
https://sacredmattersmagazine.com/the-abuse-of-yoga-and-proposition-ysb-herd-immunity-for-troubling-times/
https://thewire.in/society/the-evolution-of-woke-yoga-as-a-branding-strategy
https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/QWXPN