Civilization's Discontents: How anthropology is shaping green anarchism in the USA
Abstract
The anti-civilization movement, an offshoot of green anarchism, draws together those who hold agricultural civilization responsible for most social and ecological oppression, culminating in today's climate crisis. To build more just and sustainable worlds, anti-civilizationists look to anthropological studies of non-agricultural societies across time and space, seeking out models of social egalitarianism and ecological reciprocity. However, translating these models into practice within their own lives is complex. Through fieldwork with several anti-civilizationist communities in the Pacific Northwest of the US, I explore how people are attempting to live according to anti-civilizationist ethics – where they encounter success or frustration, and how they are taking up anthropology as a way to grapple with the prospect of climate collapse.
About the Presenter
Fern Thompsett grew up in Gubbi Gubbi country and completed her undergraduate degree with honours in anthropology at UQ in 2010. Since 2017, she has been working toward a PhD in anthropology through Columbia University in New York City. Previously, while living in Meanjin/Brisbane, she co-founded the Brisbane Free University and co-hosted a radio show on 4ZZZ.
About Anthropology Working Papers
The Working Papers in Anthropology seminar series provides a forum for dissemination of anthropological research and ideas among UQ scholars and invited researchers. All students are invited to attend the series and postgraduate students, from honours upwards, are invited to present their research. The aim is to provide opportunities for students, staff and those from outside UQ, to present and discuss their work in an informal environment.