Dr. Caroline Schuster

Biography

Caroline Schuster is an Associate Professor in the School of Archaeology and Anthropology at the Australian National University. Her research is primarily focused on economic anthropology, exploring the dynamics of value, credit, and debt, particularly in Latin America. Schuster's work examines microcredit, NGOs, and development policy, as well as the intersections of insurance, risk, and finance in relation to environmental changes and climate disasters. She holds a PhD in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Chicago, where she studied social movements and the economic impacts of Argentina's 2002 crisis. Her research has led to significant insights into the role of women in informal markets and the implications of financial inclusion strategies in contexts marked by instability. Schuster's notable projects include a study on the financialization of local risk-mitigation strategies and the examination of microinsurance concerning climate-related catastrophes. In addition to her academic work, she has been active in supervising students and contributing to collaborative research initiatives, particularly in relation to environmental anthropology and economic systems in Paraguay and beyond. Her notable publication includes 'Social Collateral: Women, Microfinance, and Paraguay’s Smuggling Economy' (University of California Press, 2015), providing an ethnographic insight into contemporary capitalism in the region.

Research Interests