politics – ZERO ANTHROPOLOGY

Weaponizing Anthropology: An Overview

Weaponizing Anthropology: Social Science in Service of the Militarized State. By David H. Price. Published by CounterPunch and AK Press, Petrolia and Oakland, CA, 2011. ISBN-13: 9781849350631. 219 pages. For students already in anthropology and those interested in perhaps becoming anthropology students, for those researching the history and political economy of the social sciences, and […]

by Maximilian C. Forte

Colonial and Anti-Imperial Anthropology

The following quotes come from John Gledhill’s Power and its Disguises: Anthropological Perspectives on Politics, 2nd ed. (London: Pluto, 2000). page 1: Half a century ago, the subject matter and relevance of political anthropology still seemed relatively easy to define. Under Western colonial regimes, one of the most valuable kinds of knowledge which anthropologists could […]

by Maximilian C. Forte

Response: The OAC’s Name

Hopefully this new post will not bring to an abrupt end the discussion that continued in the comments to the last post. One of the administrators of the “Open Anthropology Cooperative” has issued the OAC’s first coherent statement regarding “the name issue,” which as I have explained is about much more than just a name. […]

by Maximilian C. Forte

Montréal Solidarity Demonstration for Gaza, January 10, 2009

Montréal, on a bitterly cold Saturday afternoon, saw at least several thousand protesters turn out in solidarity with the people of Gaza. The crowd was massive, whose size was grossly if not deliberately understated by some of the national media — the length of the march stretched across several city blocks, often 10 people wide, […]

by Maximilian C. Forte

The Leftist Discipline Debates its Right Wing?

Another very interesting debate has been prompted by an article by Hugh Gusterson, that is, the same article in Foreign Policy that was previously discussed on this blog. In my review I noted Gusterson’s contention that anthropology is “the most left-leaning discipline.” My writing on this blog seems to endorse another view, that anthropology contains […]

by Maximilian C. Forte

Comments on “A SPY IN OUR MIDST”

Given the range and depth, not to mention the length, of some of the comments posted in discussion about the previous post, let me just direct readers to that discussion here, rather than repost everything on the front page. Everyone is welcome to participate, there is no comment moderation, and anonymity is allowed. Posting more […]

by Maximilian C. Forte

The Issue Joined

Now this is what “civilized discourse” is supposed to look like. When certain issues cannot be resolved by logic and reason, it is then necessary to challenge one’s opponent to a fist fight, preferably out in the quadrangle in front of the bell tower, at 12 noon, accompanied by one’s second and one’s third. In […]

by Maximilian C. Forte

And what if I do not want to do “collaborative anthropology”?

“…then remove the uncollaborator from our midst and drag him by his heels to the gallows, where he shall be hung from his neck until life doth depart from his flesh…” I believe that some might have expected me to answer in the manner of the fictitious quote above. Thus far, whenever I have spoken […]

by Maximilian C. Forte

Politics and Ethics: Anthropologists and Human Terrain Systems

I thought it might be best to wait and see how the discussion on the AAA’s new blog unfolded before engaging in any attempt at serious commentary. However, having captured my attention since it directly spoke to my own, and related posts there, I decided to clarify some thoughts, especially as I think that certain […]