Akhil Gupta
Encyclopedia
Akhil Gupta is an American Anthropologist whose research has focused on the anthropology of the state
and of development, as well as on postcolonialism
. He is currently Professor of Anthropology at the University of California, Los Angeles
.
in Jaipur
and graduated in 1974. Gupta did his undergraduate studies in Mechanical Engineering from Western Michigan University
following that with a Mechanical Engineering Masters from Massachusetts Institute of Technology
. Gupta then spent the next eight years getting a Ph.D. in Engineering-Economic Systems from Stanford University.
wrote the well known and oft-cited essay, "Beyond 'Culture': Space, Identity, and the Politics of Difference." which argued that the analytic concept of culture had remained largely unproblematized by anthropological discourse, and that anthropologists of the day had failed to recognize and analyze the politics of cultural difference, how such differences were produced, and how such differences were used and abused by the state and by capital. The article argues for the examination of cultural anthropology as an unconscious mechanism of neo-imperialism.
Gupta has done extensive work in rural North India. In his book, Postcolonial Developments: Agriculture in the Making of Modern India, Gupta analyzes whether and how post-colonial theory can be applied to subaltern rural places. He attempts to understand the growth of modern India through its agricultural sector. Most of his work has taken place in the western part of the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Gupta has also tried to understand the ethnography of the state - as lived, understood and discussed in rural India.
He is also a leading figure in the anthropology of the state, and is the co-editor of a book of collected essays called, "The Anthropology of the State: a reader."
Sovereign state
A sovereign state, or simply, state, is a state with a defined territory on which it exercises internal and external sovereignty, a permanent population, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other sovereign states. It is also normally understood to be a state which is neither...
and of development, as well as on postcolonialism
Postcolonialism
Post-colonialism is a specifically post-modern intellectual discourse that consists of reactions to, and analysis of, the cultural legacy of colonialism...
. He is currently Professor of Anthropology at the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
.
Biography
He is married to Purnima Mankekar, a fellow professor and scholar in the same field. Gupta and Mankekar have one child, Deeya Shitani.Education
Akhil attended St. Xavier's SchoolSt. Xavier's School, Jaipur
St. Xavier's Senior Secondary School, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India, is one of the oldest schools in the city of Jaipur. Founded in 1945, it runs under the management of the Jesuit Society, an international Christian religious order called the Society of Jesus. It welcomes pupils from all sections of...
in Jaipur
Jaipur
Jaipur , also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. Founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, the city today has a population of more than 3.1 million....
and graduated in 1974. Gupta did his undergraduate studies in Mechanical Engineering from Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University is a public university located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1903 by Dwight B. Waldo, and as of the Fall 2010 semester, its enrollment is 25,045....
following that with a Mechanical Engineering Masters from Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
. Gupta then spent the next eight years getting a Ph.D. in Engineering-Economic Systems from Stanford University.
Research
In 1992 while still at Stanford, Gupta along with fellow Stanford Anthropologist James FergusonJames Ferguson
James Ferguson may refer to:*James Ferguson , Scottish*James Ferguson , Scottish*James Ferguson , Scottish astronomer and instrument maker...
wrote the well known and oft-cited essay, "Beyond 'Culture': Space, Identity, and the Politics of Difference." which argued that the analytic concept of culture had remained largely unproblematized by anthropological discourse, and that anthropologists of the day had failed to recognize and analyze the politics of cultural difference, how such differences were produced, and how such differences were used and abused by the state and by capital. The article argues for the examination of cultural anthropology as an unconscious mechanism of neo-imperialism.
Gupta has done extensive work in rural North India. In his book, Postcolonial Developments: Agriculture in the Making of Modern India, Gupta analyzes whether and how post-colonial theory can be applied to subaltern rural places. He attempts to understand the growth of modern India through its agricultural sector. Most of his work has taken place in the western part of the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Gupta has also tried to understand the ethnography of the state - as lived, understood and discussed in rural India.
He is also a leading figure in the anthropology of the state, and is the co-editor of a book of collected essays called, "The Anthropology of the State: a reader."
Tenure-ship controversy
Gupta was unanimously approved for tenure in 1996 at Stanford, but was then denied tenure by the dean John Shoven. However, in the face of outcry from across the academy as well as mobilization by students, the dean's decision was overturned.Selected publications
- Postcolonial Developments: Agriculture in the Making of Modern India, 1997
- Editor, The Anthropology of the State: A Reader (with Aradhana Sharma), 2006
- Editor, Caste and Outcast (with Gordon Chang and Purnima Mankekar), 2002
- Editor, Culture, Power, Place: Explorations in Critical Anthropology (with James Ferguson), 1997
- Editor, Anthropological Locations: Boundaries and Grounds of a Field Science (with James Ferguson), 1997