Understanding the Greek "Indignation" Anthropologically

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What can anthropology contribute to the discussion about the financial crisis? Dimitrios Theodossopoulos at The University of Kent conducted an ethnographic study of Greek citizens during the financial crisis of 2011 in order to explore the causes and consequences of the rhetoric of discontent inspired by the austerity measures. While much of the coverage in the international media often centered on the public manifestations of the protest and the "indignation,"  the article looks at the perceptions and interpretative trajectories of ordinary Greek citizens, and their views about accountability for the country’s economic woes, which represent a persistent attempt to explain a massive crisis in locally meaningful terms.

The press-release preview of the paper in Current Anthropology commented:

"Theodossopoulos’s ethnography provides a fascinating look into the ways Greeks view themselves and others in the shadow of the crisis, and shows what an anthropological approach to contemporary economic issues can add to the international discussion by highlighting the complexity and meaningfulness of local responses to the crisis."


You can find this paper in the April issue of Current Anthropology.