Anthropology and Social Change
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anthciis.bsky.social
Anthropology and Social Change
@anthciis.bsky.social
12K followers 8.8K following 150 posts
Ⓐctivist Ⓐnthropology MAs + PhDs
🌍 Journal: https://jwsr.pitt.edu/
📕 Books: https://blog.pmpress.org/kairos/
🏴‍☠️ Lectures: https://www.ciis.edu/news/david-graeber-memorial-lectures
Posts Replies Media Videos
anthciis.bsky.social
Curious about mostly online our activist Anthropology MAs+PhDs?

Sign up for the Sept 5, 4pm Pacific Time Info Session with our founding department chair, Andrej Grubačić: www.ciis.edu/events/anthr...

Train in Anthropology informed by methodologies from Anarchism to Marxism.
August 23, 2025 at 2:52 AM
anthciis.bsky.social
Brands Me and my
marketing to gay friends:
gays:
Image of a fit Caucasian masc person decked out in matching rainbow pants, blazer, umbrella, sunglasses, and necktie over a bare chest, making an exuberant “let’s party” gesture. News photo of the anti-ICE rioters in L.A. ducking LAPD teargas behind a makeshift barricade made of repurposed pink metal park furniture.
June 23, 2025 at 6:28 AM
anthciis.bsky.social
Refusal of business as usual saves lives.
“Coolyori hotline bling times three” classic meme format with anime femme in sunglasses, patterned after the Drake hotline meme. In the first frame, the character has a stern gesture of refusal and the text reads “higher education is doing fine.” In the second frame she’s got a satisfied expression with a “finger gun” type expression signifying approval, and the text reads “ higher education is again in a crisis of legitimacy.” In the third frame, the same expression as in frame two, but with the “finger gun” gesture of approval in both hands, stylized sparkles and flames behind her signifying a degree of high-intensity. The text reads “higher education was always in a crisis of legitimacy.”
April 7, 2025 at 9:08 PM
anthciis.bsky.social
Rest in Power, David Graeber
When I’m in a ___ and my opponent is ___ meme format with a comically flabbergasted Squidward in the bottom left reacting to an image above. Text by Squidward reads “when I’m in a critique of political economy contest and my opponent is David Graeber” Image above is a black and white photo of Graeber seated in a couch, probably at London School of Economics, in a lobby on the ground floor, a window to the street behind him, dressed in khaki pants, blazer and vest, his dress shirt unbuttoned at the neck. Palms raised and eyes upraised, he is gesturing as though in mid-speech. Bold text above him reads (from his book Debt: The First 5000 Years) “Money has no essence. It isn’t “really” anything…”
April 3, 2025 at 3:26 PM
anthciis.bsky.social
If “end-stage capitalism” were a single picture.
Dog-killing, prison photo op taking “ICE Barbie,” Kristi Noem in her “police ice” labeled drab uniform, with her infamous Rolex on her left wrist. In the forefront, a large mockup of the watch labeled with its retail price, $45,000.
April 2, 2025 at 8:49 PM
anthciis.bsky.social
In our Societies Against the State course this Spring, we are studying the Kurdish Freedom Movement all semester!
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Curious about our low-residency MA+PhD in activist anthropology? Sign up today to join the April 15, 5:30pm Pacific Info Session: www.ciis.edu/events/anthr...
An “alternate timeline” meme of the (imprisoned in real life) beaming Kurdish Freedom movement leader Abdullah Öcalan in a green button up shirt appearing implausibly on the cable tv program “The Daily Show.” Host John Stewart gestures for the camera toward our PM Press book, Building Free Life: Dialogues with Öcalan, a yellow book with Öcalan’s face on the cover.
March 25, 2025 at 8:56 PM
anthciis.bsky.social
📹Subcomandante Marcos removes his mask!
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Interested in our low-residency MA+PhD in activist anthropology, including research in solidarity with populations in struggle? Sign up for the April 15, 5:30pm Pacific Info Session: www.ciis.edu/events/anthr...
March 20, 2025 at 4:15 PM
anthciis.bsky.social
Interested in our low-residency MA+PhD in activist anthropology? Sign up here for the April 15, 5:30pm Pacific Time online Info Session: www.ciis.edu/events/anthr...

📹Department friend @davidgraeber (RIP🖤) from davidgraeber.org on the Paradox of Sovereignty
March 19, 2025 at 9:18 PM
anthciis.bsky.social
…(and Anthropology specifically) we build upon work by Noam Chomsky, David Graeber, James C. Scott, and Pierre Clastres. Our emphasis is on real uptopias, human projects and movements with an anti-statist focus. 4/8
Wallerstein wearing spectacles with images of the earth globe in each lens. Text at the top reads “capitalism’s late stage intensifies”
February 18, 2025 at 10:51 PM
anthciis.bsky.social
Anthropology and Social Change is a distinctive MA and PhD Program with an activist emphasis. Research universities often have an activist faculty member. Our activist focus is department-wide. In following an anarchist lineage in the humanities generally… 3/8
“Why not both” meme format with cute femme kid and yellow subtitles saying “why don’t we have both?” Above in bold white capitals: “Anthropology? Social change?”
February 18, 2025 at 10:51 PM
anthciis.bsky.social
Apply for the BA completion program, plus give them an additional statement in why you’d like to work with us. If you qualify, you could complete your BA, plus earn an MA from us in half the usual time. Have both. www.ciis.edu/academics/de... 2/8
“Why not both” meme format with cute femme kid and yellow subtitles saying “why don’t we have both?” Above in bold white capitals: “bachelors completion? Accelerated MA?”
February 18, 2025 at 10:51 PM
anthciis.bsky.social
New Degree option just dropped! Looking to finish a BA? Maybe get an accelerated MA with us in Activist Anthropology? See link below for info on CIIS accelerated degree programs!
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www.ciis.edu/academics/ac... 1/8
“Why not both” meme format with cute femme kid and yellow subtitles saying “why don’t we have both?” Above in bold white capitals: “anarchism? Communism?”
February 18, 2025 at 10:51 PM
anthciis.bsky.social
Wednesday! ciis.zoom.us/j/98062486957

Celebrate David Graeber’s birthday with us! 4th Annual David Graeber Memorial Lecture with Eyal Weizman. Bookmark the above Zoom link.
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“Conditions of Life Calculated...” on the Gaza Genocide 1/10
February 11, 2025 at 7:45 PM
anthciis.bsky.social
Anarchist methodologies in Anthropology. It’s definitely a thing: Scott, Clastres, Graeber. And in fictions of Anthropology, LeGuin.
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What’s rare (maybe unprecedented?) is an entire graduate department like this.
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Join us at the CIIS Spring Open House to learn more: www.ciis.edu/events/sprin...
James Scott, Pierre Clastres, Ursula LeGuin, and David Graeber in the stars. A news headline below reads “Project 2025 mainly led by ex-Trump officials, leaked videos reveal” Large macro meme-text reads “my idols are dead” above, and “my enemies are in power” below
December 17, 2024 at 6:30 PM
anthciis.bsky.social
The fall of the Syrian regime has created new crises and new opportunities in the Middle East. As Kurds in Syria celebrate the end of a regime that has rendered countless Kurds stateless and denied the existence of a Kurdish identity, language and culture… 1/5
“ online panel, Rojava under pressure: women’s revolution, as a beacon of Hope and uncertain times. Women, freedom, Rosa between Utopia and geopolitical reality panelists: Shiraz Hemo - coordinating member of Kongra Star Foza Yusif - executive board member of the democratic unity party Rohilat Afrin - command of the women’s defense units. Moderation - Meghan Bodette Director of research, Kurdish peace Institute. December 12, 2024 at 19 00 CET online broadcast on the YouTube channel @kongrastar22 “
December 11, 2024 at 11:02 PM
anthciis.bsky.social
Throwback to our department chair’s appearance on @thefinalstrawradio.bsky.social thefinalstrawradio.noblogs.org/post/categor...
Photo of Andrej Grubačić, a bearded and bald masc Yugoslavian-born department chair, in a white shirt and floral scarf, standing in a room in the University of Rojava.
December 2, 2024 at 4:21 PM
anthciis.bsky.social
Catch David Graeber+Andrej Grubačić’s introduction to this volume, reprinted in @anarchistlibrary.bsky.social, here: theanarchistlibrary.org/library/andr...
N.O. Bonzo book cover art. Stylized woodcut-like foliage in red and black forms an outer border, intercut with black lettering on a white banner that reads, “Mutual Aid: An Illuminated Factor of Evolution.” A corresponding banner at the bottom reads “Illustrated by N.O. Bonzo Introduction by David Graeber and Andrej Grubačić Foreword by Ruth Kinna Afterward by Allan Antliff Postscript by GATS. Center woodcut style image in black and white shows two laborers, one femme and one masc, hands clasped in solidarity. She holds a sickle and he carries a pitchfork. They are each flanked by stylized fruit trees and in the center behind their clasped hand is an abundance of wheat. A banner at the bottom of this center image reads “Peter Kropotkin.”
December 2, 2024 at 3:52 AM
anthciis.bsky.social
Throwback to our event with @defendrojava.bsky.social + @dsa-lsc.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy L to R: Debbie Bookchin, Arthur Pye, Andrej Grubačić
Against a backdrop of Rojava flags: Debbie Bookchin, a femme in black with shoulder length black hair; Arthur Pye, a masc in blue button-up, Kurdish scarf, drab cadet cap, and glasses, and Andrej Grubačić a masc in a red cap and red shirt, seated in a panel at a table with the banner: “Defend Rojava: Direct democracy/Women’s Liberation/Social Ecology - Emergency Committee for Rojava - Defendeojava.org
December 1, 2024 at 9:15 PM
anthciis.bsky.social
A15action.com
Background image of raised Palestinian flag with foreground text, saying: “Coordinated Economic Blockade to Free Palestine Monday, April 15, 2024 The global economy is complicit in genocide. Join participating cities in blocking the arteries of capitalism and jamming the wheels of production.”
April 11, 2024 at 5:42 AM
anthciis.bsky.social
April 4! Ecology, Spirituality, and Religion together with @anthciis presents a talk by Dr. Manisha Anantharaman in the CIIS lobby. Pre-register here: forms.office.com/pages/respon...
Event flyer. Background image is of the CIIS lobby itself, facing the windows onto Mission St. Overlaid on that image are text, a photo of Dr. Manisha Anantharaman, a femme Desi person with long straight black hair, and the cover image of her book, showing a stylized image of the eastern hemisphere in green on white background, with the words “Recycling Class - The Contradictions of Inclusion in Urban Sustainability.” Flyer text reads: “ecology, spirituality, and religion + anthropology and social change present: Dr. Manisha Anantharaman - Recycling Class: the contradictions of inclusion in urban sustainability. April 4, 2024 4pm-6pm pacific time - Free talk! CIIS Lobby 1453 Mission St., SF.” The center of the flyer has a QR code that routes to the same pre-registration URL given in this post.
March 26, 2024 at 12:15 AM
anthciis.bsky.social
Earn your MA or PhD in activist anthropology in our low-residency format! Two weeks per year at our San Francisco campus and the rest live online!
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Train in ethnography in solidarity with populations in struggle.
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Sign up here for the Info Session, Weds at noon PT: www.ciis.edu/events/anthr...
Meme format derived from a well-known TikTok where a barista shows themselves fixing an espresso drink while observing in their caption, “this drink literally costs me working for half an hour.” A still frame from the TikTok has been substituted for a paperback book cover image, and below the image is the text: “Penguin Classics - Karl Marx - Capital Volume 1” Overlaid on the entire meme is our course code and title: ANTH 6198 Contemporary Capitalism
March 25, 2024 at 10:50 PM
anthciis.bsky.social
Earn your MA+PhD in our low-residency Activist Anthropology program.
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Register for the March 27, noon Pacific Time info session: www.ciis.edu/events/anthr...
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This is *not* a quote from department friend and influence, David Graeber! It’s an improvement on a Heath Ledger Joker meme!
Parody of a Heath Ledger Joker meme, but with David Graeber, nicely dressed in grey sport jacket over a jewel-red vest and dress shirt with earth-tone trousers, seated in a grey armchair with a city street visible behind. His arms are raised palm up to either side in an animated gesture, head slightly upturned and apparently in mid-speech. Top caption reads, “Support academics doing internet piracy and nobody panics, it’s just part of the plan.” Bottom caption reads, “Dissolce boundaries between academia and activism, and everyone loses their minds”
March 4, 2024 at 9:39 PM
anthciis.bsky.social
Earn your MA or PhD in our low-residency activist Anthropology program! Sign up for tonight’s online 5:30pm pacific info session, here: www.ciis.edu/events/anthr...
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Train in ethnography with populations in stateless spaces and political struggle as co-researchers! #activist #gradschool
Meme format with a woman Rojava soldier in fatigues and beret on the left, David Graber in dark glasses, white shirt and beige pants smoking a cigarette on the right. Each is labeled “co-researcher.”
February 27, 2024 at 8:17 PM
anthciis.bsky.social
Monday and Tuesday! Two online talks with political exile Nazan Üstündağ! Use this one pre-registration for both talks: ciis.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
February 2, 2024 at 1:26 AM
anthciis.bsky.social
An image combining art from our Kairos imprint @PMPressOrg books by Sean Michael Wilson and Janet Biehl with Rojava’s Social Contract from @defendrojava See more on our books here pmpress.org/index.php?l=... #socialist #graphicnovel
January 29, 2024 at 4:44 PM