Empires of Debt

Student debt, credit card debt, and medical debt in the US keep rising. Debt is entangled with legacies of enslavement and internal colonialism in the US and beyond. Around the world, debt has helped build empires and to destroy them. Debt also helps people build and maintain relationships. So why is debt usually seen as "bad" and credit as "good"? How can anthropology contribute to understanding the role of debt in the making and unmaking of power and empires? This class draws on anthropology, history, and finance to explore these and other questions, sometimes with the help of guest authors of our readings.