Grappling with Societies and Institutions in an Era of Socio-Ecological Crisisis an autobiographical ethnography of the journey through various societies and institutions and how they function in the midst of an era of socio-ecological crises. The volume traces the steps of the author in becoming a radical anthropologist, namely through the experience of immigration and naturalization from Peru to the United States and then to Australia, politicization while working as an engineer in the aircraft industry during the late 1960s, socialization in and subsequent exit from Roman Catholicism, and experiences as an academic working in the corporate university. As well, the author illuminates the practices of research and engagement as a scholar-activist on various topics, such as the Levites of Utah and African American Spiritual churches, socio-political and religious life in East Germany, complementary and alternative medicine, the Australian climate movement, and democratic eco-socialism.

Hans A. Baer is principal honorary research fellow in the School of Social Political Sciences at the University of Melbourne.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Part I: The Making of a Radical Anthropologist

1 Immigration and Naturalization: From Peru to the United States and then to Australia

2 The Sixties and the Aircraft Industry Company: Being Politicized within the Bowels of the Corporation during the Sixties

3 Roman Catholicism: Leaving the Womb of Holy Mother the Church

4 The Corporatization of Academia: From the Bush Leagues to an Elite Australian University

Part II: Studying Societies and Institutions

5 Studies in Religion: Ethnogaphic Studies among the Levites of Utah and and African American Spiritual Churches

6 Socio-Political and Religious Life in East Germany: Observations of a Fulbright Scholar and Ethnographer

7 Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the US, UK, and Australia: Hanging Out with the Quacks

8 -- The Australian Climate Movement: Coming to Grips with the Ecological Crisis Down Under and Globally

9 Towards Democratic Eco-Socialism as an Alternative World System

Epilogue: Retirement: Refusing to Retire from Life

References

Index