PhD Student
Advisor: Omar Dewachi
Program: Cultural Anthropology (CITE)
Research Interests: Cultures of Militarism and Militarization, Political Economy, Organizational Anthropology, Affect among agents of Empire, Mental Illness, the Violence (and magic) of everyday life.
William Downey is an anti-war veteran whose time in the Marine Corps led to a radical rethinking of the often unseen violence that keeps the cultural machinery of everyday life (dys)functioning. He's interested in the creation and circulation of affect and worldview among private military and security companies, and their role as intermediaries of global finance, nationalism(s), and its relevance to the changing nature of the nation-state.”
External Awards:
Award name: Wenner-Gren, Dissertation Fieldwork Grant; "Semper (In)Fidelis: Body, Memory and Personhood among Former Members of the Marine Corps";
Dates: Start: 1/1/2023 End: 6/1/2024
