gender – ZERO ANTHROPOLOGY

The Ultimate Proletarian and the Neoliberal Condition

“Proletarian” has acquired many layers of meaning over the centuries, possibly in part because the many, historically changing situations of proletarians became more complex. Since the advent of western European capitalism in the sixteenth century, proletarians were defined as “members of the lowest class”. By the mid-1800s, they were “the lowest class” composed of “indigent […]

by Maximilian C. Forte

Review of a Film by Michael Moore: “Where to Invade Next” (2016)

Having seen almost all of Michael Moore’s films to date, I have no difficulty in applauding “Where to Invade Next” as his best film yet. I may have many disagreements with Moore, on his allegiance to the Democratic Party, his past support for Obama, his ties to MoveOn, and his occasional glossing over the pro-war […]

by Maximilian C. Forte

Eight Questions and Seven Theses about Force Multipliers

“Force multipliers: Machines which allow a small effort to move a larger load are called force multipliers. Some examples of force multipliers include: a crowbar, wheelbarrow, nutcracker, and bottle opener. The number of times a machine multiplies the effort is called its mechanical advantage. The mechanical advantage of a machine is the number of times […]

by Maximilian C. Forte

Sochi, Sexuality, and Empire

Only When in Russia When were the last modern Olympic games that openly endorsed gay rights? Where were those Olympic games held? The short answer is: never, nowhere. However, suddenly, gay rights issues matter when deciding to attend the Olympics. Sochi, for reasons that are not altogether mysterious, now stands out as an exception being […]

by Maximilian C. Forte

Empire and the Liberation of Veiled Women: Lutz & Collins

In “The Color of Sex: Postwar Photographic Histories of Race and Gender,” by Catherine A. Lutz and Jane L. Collins (reprinted in The Anthropology of Media: A Reader, 2002, pps. 92-116), we encounter this very illuminating passage dealing with the figure of the veiled, non-Western woman, photographed by National Geographic, placing the apparent obsession with […]

by Maximilian C. Forte

Afghanistan’s Little Girls on the Front Line, Part 2

This post was previously published as a comment by M. Jamil Hanifi, Open Anthropology’s new blogger. While we work out bugs with Jamil’s access, I am republishing his comment as a post. It first appeared in connection with the article, “In Afghanistan It’s Now All About the Little Girls“. M. Jamil Hanifi 15 August 2009 […]

by Maximilian C. Forte

Bait & Switch from the Anti-Colonial Hearts & Minds

Reading like a classic scene replayed from the vast literature on colonial history, this gem: In the southern province of Helmand, U.S. Marines have been trying to secure the strategic town of Dahaneh to cut Taliban supply lines and enable the government to open a polling station there. After two days of fighting, Marines helped […]

by Maximilian C. Forte

Glimpses of What the Mainstream Media Might Have Told Us About Afghanistan

Recently a debate broke out across blogs, think tanks, counterinsurgency advocates, and academics, concerning what is apparently the near total absence of any debate, any questioning, any discussion about why the U.S. (and by implication the rest of us in NATO) should remain in Afghanistan, even less so about why Afghanistan should have been invaded […]

by Maximilian C. Forte

In Afghanistan It’s Now All About the Little Girls (1.5)

Women and Children First Here is U.S. Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, writing on his Twitter page: helped open a school in the Panjshir Valley yesterday. built by Greg Mortenson. smiles on those young faces said it all! power of education (15 July 2009) And then some more tweets about […]

by Maximilian C. Forte

Sugar Sammy’s Art: Making Jokes of Ethnicity, Sex, and Conflict

Another installment of Monday Morning Madness takes us to Sugar Sammy, an Indo-Canadian stand-up comedian who offers a narrative that is dripping with racial, ethnic and gender jokes, directed against Indians, and virtually every other major ethnic group in North America. Thanks to UK-based Trinidadian blogger, Jumbie’s Watch, for drawing my attention to these videos. […]

by Maximilian C. Forte

The Retreat of Globalization? The Possible Impacts on the Future of Anthropology

Before beginning, more than the usual word of caution to readers: added to the usual grain of salt, one should keep in mind that what follows is speculation based on current trends and news, a scratching of the analytical surface that is not intended to pose as a summary derived from an extensive research project. […]

by Maximilian C. Forte

Shame on You, Barack Obama? More on Clinton’s (and the Mass Media’s) Racism (5.0)

Of course this issue cannot be laid to rest until it gets wider, more meaningful recognition, not to mention some profuse apologizing from Hillary Clinton and the white troops in her white-oriented campaign, as well as the mainstream media with its racialized double-standards. If one wants to have a discussion about race and gender, then […]