ANTH 482 - Anthropology of Good Intentions

Semester Offered: Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4SS, CD, WADV

This seminar critically analyzes the cultural politics of our humanitarian age. We will problematize logics of gifting, sacrifice, and ‘doing good’ as they play out in historical and contemporary projects staged by missionaries, NGOs, states, global aid institutions, development workers, and others. Reading ethnographic, filmic, journalistic, and historical sources alongside critical theory, we will consider the consequences, contingencies, and ethics of good intentions in a global world.
Enrollment Limit: 10
Instructor: C. Biruk
Consent of the Instructor Required: Yes