Governing cultures : anthropological perspectives on political labor, power, and government / edited by Kendra Coulter and William R. Schumann.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Coulter, Kendra, 1979-

Schumann, William R.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Political anthropology.

Government policy.

Legislative power.

Physical Description:

viii, 238 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : Palgrave Macmillan, [2012]

Summary:

Government are formal political institutions, places of work for thousands of women and men, and powerful social, cultural, and economic sites that shape the lives of all people. This collection demonstrates how anthropologists enrich our understandings of government by exploring the labor of those who govern, and how the dynamics of culture are at the heart of government actions that justify, modify, and reproduce political action. By assembling original, ethnographically-grounded research in legislatures, executives, and bureaucracies, this volume illuminates and unpacks the structures, practices, and values of government actors in local, regional, and national contexts. Book jacket.

Contents:

1 Government Matters: Intellectual Labor and the Work of Governing / Kendra Coulter Coulter, Kendra, William R. Schumann Schumann, William R. 1

2 Navigating the Illegible State: The Political Labor of Government in Mexico / Tara A. Schwegler Schwegler, Tara A. 21

3 A Project of Governing and its Contradictions: Maternal-Infant Care in Highland Ecuador / A. Kim Clark Clark, A. Kim 47

4 Governing Beef: Program Implementation, Unintended Consequences, and BSE Control in Alberta / Alan Smart Smart, Alan, Josephine Smart Smart, Josephine 69

5 Selling Clear Red Water: The Identity Politics of Governing in the National Assembly for Wales / William R. Schumann Schumann, William R. 93

6 Legislative Authenticity and the Politics of Recognition: Being a Maori Member of the New Zealand Parliament / Ilana Gershon Gershon, Ilana 111

7 Gendering Government: Political Labor and the Production of Policy and Political Culture / Kendra Coulter Coulter, Kendra 137

8 The Work of Being Governed: From the Welfare State to the "Big Society" in Britain / Susan Brin Hyatt Hyatt, Susan Brin 159

9 The Will To End Hunger in the Age of Security: Food Security, National Security, and Community-Based Food Security in the United States / David V. Fazzino II Fazzino, David V. II 183

10 The Work of Governing / John Clarke Clarke, John 209.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781137009210

1137009217

OCLC:

781432429