James Ferguson (anthropologist)
James Gordon Ferguson | |
|---|---|
Ferguson at the University of Sussex in 2016 | |
| Born | June 16, 1959 |
| Died | February 12, 2025 (aged 65) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation(s) | Professor, anthropologist |
| Title | Susan S. and William H. Hindle Professor in the School of Humanities and Sciences |
| Academic background | |
| Education | B.A., M.A., Ph.D. |
| Alma mater | University of California, Santa Barbara, Harvard University |
| Thesis | Discourse, knowledge, and structural production in the "development" industry : an anthropological study of a rural development project in Lesotho (1985) |
| Academic work | |
| Discipline | Anthropologist |
| Sub-discipline | Development studies |
| Institutions | Stanford University (2003-2025) University of California, Irvine (1986-2003) |
| Main interests | Political economy, Development studies, Migration |
James Ferguson (June 16, 1959 – February 12, 2025) was an American anthropologist. He is known for his work on the politics and anthropology of international development, specifically his critical stance (development criticism). He was chair of the Anthropology Department at Stanford University. His best-known work is his book, The Anti-Politics Machine. He delivered the most prestigious lecture in anthropology, the Morgan Lecture, in 2009, for his work on basic income.