Terms & Concepts
This political-economic philosophy emphasizes deregulation, privatization, and market-led governance, often prioritizing capital over social welfare.
What is Neoliberalism?
This anthropologist coined the term "studying up," urging scholars to examine powerful institutions and elites rather than just marginalized groups.
Who is Laura Nader?
On Wall Street, this culturally specific trait conflates quickness and aggression with intelligence, legitimizing the hierarchy and massive compensation of bankers.
What is "Smartness"?
The distant "High God" in Vodou who is considered the creator but is too busy to handle the daily affairs of humans.
Who is Bondye?
Inhabitants of Bajo Atrato often refer to their territory using this term, emphasizing that their existence is defined by aquatic mobility
What is a "Homeriver"?
Literally meaning "cleaning," this practice involves the collective removal of debris from rivers in Bajo Atrato to ensure navigability and flow.
What is Limpieza?
She revolutionized the study of Vodou by becoming an initiate herself, using a biographical approach to understand the religion through the life of Alourdes.
Who is Karen McCarthy Brown?
This corporate shift prioritized maximizing stock prices above all else, often justifying mass layoffs and downsizing to boost short-term profits.
What is the Shareholder Value Revolution?
This spirit family presides over death and sexuality; known for being a trickster who uses humor to help people cope with suffering.
Who are the Gede?
These massive logjams, caused by debris and neglect during the war, represent stagnation and prevent communities from traveling or maintaining their territory.
What are Palizadas?
A conceptual framework describing the current geological epoch as shaped by the logic of forced labor, monoculture, and the simplification of ecosystems.
What is the Plantationoscene?
This anthropologist uses archaeology, ethnography, and forensic science to study the "hybrid collectif" of the US-Mexico border and policies like "Prevention Through Deterrence."
Who is Jason De León?
This type of Wall Street employee internalizes market instability, viewing their own job insecurity and willingness to be laid off as a badge of honor.
What is the "Liquid" Employee?
This spirit appears as a peasant farmer in blue denim, reminding urban Haitians of their connection to the land and the importance of family.
Who is Azaka (or Papa Kouzen/Cousin)?
These "pioneer crops" are resilient enough to survive human displacement, allowing people to return to their lands and re-establish a sense of place.
What are Plataneras (Plantain fields)?
In Afro-Colombian thought, this term reflects a divergence in how reality is understood, such as viewing territory as an "event" created through relationships rather than just a physical space.
What is Epistemological Difference?
In her book Liquidated, she analyzes Wall Street culture, describing the "liquid" employee and the cultural role of bonuses in financial markets.
Who is Karen Ho?
Narratives constructed by insiders to justify Wall Street’s dominance, framing destructive practices as a necessary evolution of the "free market."
What are Origin Myths?
This psychic power or "gift of eyes" allows a healer to read people and diagnose the relational roots of their suffering; it is strengthened during initiation.
What is Konesans?
The introduction of palm oil monocultures in Chocó led to a massive increase in the population of these animals, creating "poisonous" relations for the locals.
What are Snakes (or Venomous Snakes)?
This term refers to a ritual object or charm in Vodou that concentrates spiritual power to effect a specific change, such as a protective packet or a bath.
What is a Pwen (or Point)?
This anthropologist critiques "scalable" projects like plantations, arguing that they destroy the diversity of relationships necessary for life to flourish.
Who is Anna Tsing?
This concept emerged from the 2008 crisis, referring to institutions so massive and interconnected that the government felt compelled to bail them out to save the global economy.
What is "Too Big to Fail"?
Because Alourdes traces her spiritual lineage and family history primarily through her mother and grandmother, her kinship structure is described as this.
What is Matrilineal Descent?
In Bajo Atrato, this concept refers to a "tangled thread" or plot—often a behavior or witchcraft—that complicates the healing of a snakebite.
What is a Trama?