Anthropology of Borders

Undergraduate / Graduate

Today, the world may seem more connected than ever. Infectious disease, data, global capital, and even "culture" seem to travel in the blink of an eye. At the same time, we're witnessing the fortification of borders, and a resurgence of rightwing ethnonationalist populism on both sides of the Atlantic. Borders take on new significance national debates and security policy, and for those who rarely come into contact with borders, they may seem like mere metaphor for how a nation positions itself with regard to immigration, public health, and trade. But beyond the party platforms of politicians in the world's capitols, borders are very real places, constituted by the practices of state and non-state actors alike, and creating new forms of life in response to the technologies that police them. In this course, we will take an anthropological view of borders in order to understand how they are created, policed, and inhabited, following and bucking trends in the micropractices of military, police, and bordercrossers both legal and illegal.