Anthropology of Climate Change

Climate change is a result of systematic decisions and neglect that perpetuate social inequities and injustices alongside exploitation of earth systems. MIT Anthropology offers essential expertise to expand the Institute’s course offerings to address the social and political forces that shape both climate change and many proposed technoscientific solutions. MIT Anthropology will integrate into our existing classes a semester-long series of events in the Spring of 2022 culminating in the symposium Living Climate Futures, introducing undergraduates to the perspectives and climate justice work of urban community groups and Indigenous leaders. Moreover, we will leverage this semester of events into the collaborative design of a new subject, “Anthropology of Climate Change,” to be taught regularly in our department by a rotation of our faculty. Inclusive and anti-racist pedagogies are integral to this project.