In this episode of AnthroPod, we bring you a recording of an invited session organized by the American Ethnological Society and the Society for the Anthropology of North America at the 2016 annual meeting of the American Anthropological Association, entitled “The 2016 U.S. Presidential Election: Anthropologists Reflect on What Just Happened.” Taking place just eleven days after the election, this session provided a much-needed platform for leading anthropological voices to discuss the dynamics and implications of Donald Trump's victory. The ten short talks addressed a range of crucial issues, from the fallout of neoliberalism to race and its relationship with coloniality. A common thread throughout the panel, however, was the role of anthropology in the Trump era: in what ways could anthropology's commitment to empathy, dedication to social problems, and attentiveness to micro as well as macro scales address the challenges that lie ahead?

The discussion begins with opening remarks by the panel’s organizers, Shanti Parikh (Washington University) and Angelique Haugerud (Rutgers University). These are followed by presentations from Hugh Gusterson (George Washington Unviersity), Micaela di Leonardo (Northwestern University), Cecilia Van Hollen (Syracuse University), Leith Mullings (Graduate Center, City University of New York), Jonathan Rosa (Stanford University), Janine Wedel (George Mason University), Akhil Gupta (University of California, Los Angeles), and Kenneth Guest (Baruch College, City University of New York).

Credits

Tariq Rahman produced this episode of AnthroPod. Special thanks to the American Ethnological Society and the Society for the Anthropology of North America for organizing this panel, the American Anthropological Association for recording the panel and making it available to us to broadcast, and to Executive Producer Rupa Pillai for invaluable guidance.

AnthroPod features interviews with current anthropologists about their work, current events, and their experiences in the field. To pitch your own episode ideas or to offer feedback, email us at [email protected]

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Music: Sweeter Vermouth by Kevin MacLeod.