Journal of Material Culture

Journal of Material Culture
Title	Journal of Material Culture
Discipline	Cultural studies; Anthropology; Archaeology; Design studies
Language	English
Abbreviation	J. Mater. Cult.
Publisher	SAGE Publications
Country	United Kingdom
Frequency	Quarterly
History	1996–present
Issn	1359-1835

Contents

Journal of Material Culture Journal of Material Culture is a peer-reviewed academic journal focusing on the study of objects, artifacts, and materiality in social life. It publishes research that intersects with archaeology, anthropology, history, design, and museum studies, engaging scholars from institutions such as British Museum, University of Cambridge, University College London, University of Oxford, and University of York. The journal frequently appears alongside publications from SAGE Publications, Routledge, Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, and Taylor & Francis in listings for cultural and material studies.

History

The journal was founded in 1996 during a period of expanding interest in material culture studies at centers such as University of Manchester, University of Glasgow, University of Edinburgh, University of Leeds, and School of Oriental and African Studies. Early editorial networks included scholars affiliated with Smithsonian Institution, Victoria and Albert Museum, British Library, Institute of Archaeology (UCL), and Wellcome Trust. Throughout the late 1990s and 2000s the journal published work engaging with theoretical developments associated with figures and venues such as Bruno Latour, Michel Foucault, Pierre Bourdieu, Mary Douglas, and conferences hosted by European Association of Archaeologists, Royal Anthropological Institute, International Council of Museums, and Society for American Archaeology. The journal’s continuity has been supported by collaborations with departments at University of Toronto, Australian National University, Harvard University, Yale University, and Columbia University.

The journal aims to publish research on the relationships between people and things, addressing subjects ranging from archaeological assemblages excavated at sites like Stonehenge and Çatalhöyük to contemporary design practices studied in contexts including Milan Design Week, Salone del Mobile, and museum exhibitions at Tate Modern. It foregrounds interdisciplinary perspectives drawn from scholars at Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, Smithsonian Institution, British Museum, Getty Research Institute, and Victoria and Albert Museum. The journal welcomes contributions that engage with methodologies and theoretical frameworks associated with Actor–network theory, Structuralism, Poststructuralism, Phenomenology (philosophy), and debates voiced at forums like American Anthropological Association and European Association of Archaeologists symposia.

The editorial board comprises scholars appointed from universities and institutes such as University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, University College London, University of Copenhagen, Max Planck Institute, Australian National University, McGill University, University of Chicago, and University of California, Berkeley. The journal is published quarterly by SAGE Publications and adheres to peer-review policies practiced by leading journals alongside American Journal of Archaeology, Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, American Anthropologist, and Current Anthropology. Editorial offices have historically been associated with departments and centers including Institute of Archaeology (UCL), Department of Anthropology, Cambridge, Centre for Contemporary Art, and research libraries such as British Library and Bodleian Library.

The journal is indexed in major databases and services comparable to listings that include Scopus, Web of Science, Anthropology Plus, JSTOR, and ProQuest. It is discoverable through library catalogues and aggregators used by institutions such as Library of Congress, British Library, National Library of Australia, Bibliothèque nationale de France, and university consortia at University of California and University of Toronto. Citation tracking aligns the journal with metrics and indexing schemes similar to those maintained by Clarivate, Elsevier, Google Scholar, and CrossRef.

The journal has published influential articles addressing materiality and social life, with pieces cited by monographs and edited volumes from publishers such as Routledge, Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, Palgrave Macmillan, and MIT Press. Contributions have engaged with case studies from archaeological contexts like Pompeii, Mohenjo-daro, and Maya sites, and from modern contexts examined in studies on collections at British Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Louvre, and Guggenheim Museum. Authors who have appeared in the journal hold affiliations with Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University, Columbia University, University of Chicago, and research institutions such as Smithsonian Institution and Getty Research Institute.

The journal is available in print and online through platforms managed by SAGE Publications and institutional subscriptions held by libraries including British Library, Library of Congress, National Library of Australia, and university libraries at University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Harvard University, and Yale University. Access is mediated through subscription services used by consortia such as Ex Libris, JSTOR, and university e-journal packages administered by ProQuest and EBSCO. Individual articles may be obtained via interlibrary loan systems coordinated through networks including Research Libraries UK and OCLC.

Category:Academic journals Category:Anthropology journals Category:Archaeology journals Category:SAGE Publishing academic journals