Janet McIntosh is a sociocultural and linguistic anthropologist.
Latest by this author
From boot camp battle cries to euphemisms on the battlefield, the U.S. military relies on “kill talk”—a robust linguistic infrastructure to strip individuality, suppress empathy, and normalize violence, long before they ever fire a shot.
More about this author
Janet McIntosh is a sociocultural and linguistic anthropologist. She is a professor of anthropology at Brandeis University. Her work in Kenya and the United States has explored personhood, religion, colonialism, right-wing ideologies, and militarization. She has received the Clifford Geertz Prize in the Anthropology of Religion (2010), and honorable mention in the Victor Turner Prize for Ethnographic Writing (2017) and the American Ethnological Society’s Senior Book Prize (2018). She is co-editor of Language in the Trump Era (Cambridge University Press, 2020). Her work has been supported by the Fulbright Foundation, the ACLS, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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Interview With Dr. Janet McIntosh
Co-authors: John E. Armenta | Medium | July | 2025
John Arminta of the New Books Network podcast shares a transcript of his interview with Janet McIntosh, author of Kill Talk.
Co-authors: Norma Mendoza-Denton | CaMP Anthropology | May | 2025
Norma Mendoza-Denton interviews Janet McIntosh on her book Kill Talk.
Power, Essentialism, and the Nation-State in the Manosphere
Journal of Right-Wing Studies | January | 2025
Over the years, the manosphere—an online space focused on men’s issues—has shifted from discussing father’s rights and dating advice to promoting extreme and harmful views, including racism and misogyny. This change is linked to growing feelings of anger and loss among some men, especially White men, who feel left behind in today’s society.
The manosphere uses powerful language and images to make men feel like heroes fighting for survival, often drawing on myths of ancient warriors like Vikings or Romans. Some influencers even twist science and logic to make their ideas sound more believable.
Experts argue this space can be dangerous because it mixes humor with hate, making harmful beliefs seem fun or heroic. The writers in this collection analyze how language in the manosphere shapes these ideas and how it connects to wider political movements, like the rise of the far-right. Overall, it shows how toxic masculinity spreads online.Publications by this author
Language and Military Necropolitics
Oxford University Press | August | 2025
Kill Talk examines the way military speech, from basic training to war zones, shapes soldiers’ behavior and mindset. McIntosh focuses on “kill talk”—the harsh, dehumanizing language used to toughen recruits, suppress empathy, and make it easier to kill. She shows how language helps soldiers see enemies as less than human, cope with trauma, and deal with the moral struggles of war.
The book also touches on debates about whether military language should be more sensitive or restrained, and how this could affect national security. McIntosh argues that while military language often contradicts ideas of honor and integrity, it plays a role in enabling violence and creating moral injury.
The book ends by discussing how some veterans use art and poetry to process their experiences and challenge military culture.Denial and Belonging Among White Kenyans
University of California Press | April | 2016
Through interviews and fieldwork, McIntosh examines the lives of descendants of European settlers in post-independence Kenya, focusing on how they navigate their identity in a country that gained independence from colonial rule.
McIntosh explores how these settlers tell their stories and define their place in Kenya. She asks how they reconcile their connection to the colonial era with the growing anti-colonial sentiments in the country.
Through various personal accounts, McIntosh uncovers a mix of emotions and responses: moral confusion, the desire to contribute to the country, blind spots about privilege, denial, and self-doubt. Ultimately, the study reveals the complex and often contradictory ways in which settler descendants try to defend their sense of belonging and entitlement.
This book won an honorable mention both for the 2017 Victor Turner Prize for Ethnographic Writing presented by the American Anthropological Association and for the 2018 American Ethnological Society Senior Book Prize.Power, Personhood, and Ethnoreligious Boundaries on the Kenya Coast
Duke University Press | 2009
The Edge of Islam by Janet McIntosh looks at the relationship between two ethnic groups, the Swahili and the Giriama, in the Kenyan town of Malindi, focusing on how their different connections to Islam shape their interactions.
Historically, the Giriama and Swahili were interdependent, but today, the Giriama feel marginalized, both socially and economically, while the Swahili hold more privilege. This leads to tension, as the Giriama feel their ethnic identity and version of Islam are rejected by the Swahili.
McIntosh explores how the Giriama and Swahili understand Islam differently and the various manifestations of religious belief including spirit possession, healing rituals.
The book sheds light on how religion and ethnicity shape identity and relationships, showing that Islam can mean different things to different people based on culture and context.Media by this author
Interview | August | 2025
Mike Mena and Norma Mendoza-Denton talk about the book Language in the Trump Era, edited by Janet McIntosh and Norma Mendoza-Denton.
Interview | August | 2020
Mike looks at McIntosh’s chapter in Language in the Trump Era and talks about how language in political discourse, for example the “snowflake” insult often used in conservative, right-wing media.
