Public Anthropologies

Cities and Urban Planning: Missing Dialogues

In this post, Britt Dahlberg reflects on ways to expand public dialogue about creating safe and inclusive cities.

The Gruel of Law

In this post, Darryl Li explores some of the myths around courts and the rule of law, and comments on the recent Kavanaugh hearings.

Imagining an End to Poverty: New UN Sustainable Development Goals and the United States

In this post, Angelique Haugerud examines the politics of poverty and how we measure economic progress.

Decentralizing Energy

In this post, Myles Lennon and Douglas Rogers consider the promises and potential pitfalls of decentralized energy systems.

Cover the Earth: Reclaiming Life and Land through the Prism of a Green Aesthetic

In this post, Kath Weston pushes us to think beyond "green" forms of environmentalism.

Gender-Based Violence in the US

In this post, Sameena Mulla calls for an expanded understanding of gender-based violence in the US and our possible responses to it.

Held Back: The Reluctance to Adopt a Human Rights Approach to Education in the US

In this post, Amanda Walker Johnson explores why the US has struggled to achieve real equity in public education.

Infrastructures, Disposed (De-Provincializing Development)

In this post, Catherine Fennell explores the issues around developing and disposing of public infrastructure—and how people are affected by infrastructural decay.

Eradicating Poverty: Good for Humanity, Bad for the Planet? (De-Provincializing Development)

In this post, Gustav Peebles encourages us to use anthropological knowledge to devise more sustainable forms of consumption and production in response to SDG #12.

The Problem with Jobs (De-Provincializing Development)

In this installment, Ilana Gershon and Melissa Cefkin explore SDG #8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, by asking what, exactly, counts as "decent work" these days, and how work-distribution platforms like Uber and TaskRabbit reflect, shape, and portend the future of employment in the United States.