The issues
Students in the class are divided into 4 or 5 topics (2 groups per topic). Each group reads and discusses scholarly articles generally related to the assigned topic, ultimately producing a blog entry that shows how anthropological analyses can help us understand humanitarian and development issues better. At the end of each semester, the students have a chance to meet with professionals in these sectors and discuss their ‘findings’.
In 2021-2022, we did things a little differently. Instead of writing a normal ‘essay’ type of blog entry, students produced lesson plans for Year 10 students. In 2022-2023, students created an exhibit, in the spirit of ‘unessays’, which ranged from videos to a board game.
- Refugees and asylum seekers
- On professionals working with and for refugees and asylum seekers.
- Humanitarianism in crisis situations
- On aid work in conflicts, disasters and other ‘crisis’ events.
- Rethinking development
- On the politics and knowledge practices of development aid as it transforms.
- Beyond the Developing World
- On thinking about development and humanitarian issues beyond the Global South/Global North divide.
- Professions of ‘doing good’
- On what it means for people to be professionals in ‘doing good’.