Research Clusters

Colonialism, Politics, Violence

Colonialism, Politics, Violence

When we observe different armed conflicts and political struggles across the globe, can we grasp what moves people to action? How and why do people risk their lives in the name of an idea or cause?

Magic, Science, Modernity

Magic, Science, Modernity

What is modernity? Where is the boundary between "science" and what has been known for millennia as "magic"?

Health, Development, Environment

Health, Development, Environment

Relationships among humans, non-humans, and their environments leave significant traces in our bodies, cultures, and landscapes. How can we begin to understand the complex ways that a group's sense of well-being is cultivated -- or threatened -- through specific projects of medicine, economy, conservation, or industry?

Meaning, Materiality, Media

Meaning, Materiality, Media

How do we create meaning? Where is it? How do we as a human community or as individuals, recognize it? How do we change it?