Anthropology News seeks contributions for a thematic issue on anthropologists’ responses to current global economic instability and its repercussions. Recent dramatic shifts in the world economy have deeply impacted financial sectors, labor and employment, housing, health care, humanitarian aid and development, consumption, education, transportation, migration and innumerable other areas. In addition to affecting daily life around the world, recent events have also caused many to broadly question what the role of government should be in global, national and local economies, and how we can understand concepts such as value and risk.

Proposed articles may address the following questions: How can anthropological perspectives help us understand what is happening in world economies today? What kinds of fieldwork are anthropologists in these areas employing, and what theoretical frameworks do they find useful? How are people—including anthropologists—creatively responding to this global crisis, and finding ways to adapt to emerging economic, social and political climates? Proposals addressing additional topics related to this general theme are welcome.

To accompany these articles we envision a related Career Development section examining the effects that the economic crisis has had on the field of anthropology, in terms of employment, funding for research and travel, publishing opportunities, and graduate and undergraduate education. What might a more versatile and resilient anthropology look like in the future?

Guidelines

We encourage proposals for In Focus commentaries, Teaching Strategies, Field Notes articles, news stories, photo essays, interviews and more. To participate, email a 300-word abstract and 50-100-word author bio to Anthropology News editor Dinah Winnick. Proposals for photo essays should also include five high resolution photos, each with a caption and credit. Selected authors will be asked to submit commentaries of 1000-1400 words or shorter pieces for other article types by August 1.

Proposal submission deadline: June 26, 2009.

Early submissions are encouraged.