Critical Social Inquiry 0293 - Ethnographies of/Global South

This is an experimental, co-taught, advanced seminar in which we will alternate our focus to think about the differences and commonalities of two regions: Latin America and the Middle East. Our primary analytical tool will be a fine collection of ethnographies that discuss a range of issues in contemporary life in the two regions: from gendered neighborhood politics to indigenous mobilization; from consent to protest; from urban renewal to urban crime; from the Arab-Israeli conflict to the aftermath of the proxy conflicts of the Cold War. We will begin with an introductory exploration of the ethnographic genre itself to explore its basic assumptions, methods, and politics asking: What is ethnography? How do we read ethnographic texts? How are they constructed? We will then turn to on-the-ground cases emerging from both regions to interrogate notions of statehood and modernity, race and gender inequalities, religion and secularism, social movements and violence. Ultimately, we hope that the grounded exploration of these cases, which will be done with great attention to their histories and interconnections with elsewhere, will aid us in the challenge of figuring out what kind of change is taking place in the two regions today. In other words, understanding the present to better craft futures.

Power, Community and Social Justice Independent Work Multiple Cultural Perspectives Writing and Research Students are expected to spend at least six to eight hours a week of preparation and work outside of class time.