Teaching the Anthropology of Addiction and Cultivating Hope: Critical Pedagogy in an Era of Erasure

Abstract

Teaching the anthropology of topics often considered controversial, such as “addiction” and the structural inequalities that shape it, is becoming increasingly challenging in the current climate of higher education in the United States. Neoliberal imperatives and threats to academic freedom, particularly in politically conservative states, have hindered the ability of teachers and students to engage in open conversations about social problems in classrooms, undermining public education’s democratic mission. This essay explores how teaching anthropology using a critical pedagogical approach provides an opportunity to cultivate critical and transformative hope, resisting threats to our ability to foster engaged citizenship among students.