Dr. Daniel Smith

Professor

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Biography

Daniel Jordan Smith joined Brown University in 1999 as a professor of anthropology in 2016 and served as the inaugural director of Watson’s Africa Initiative. His research focuses on Nigeria, addressing a range of issues including population processes, political culture, kinship, infrastructure, gender, and health. He received the Margaret Mead Award for his book, 'Culture of Corruption: Everyday Deception in Nigeria' (2007) and the Elliott P. Skinner Award for 'AIDS Doesn’t Show Face: Inequality, Morality, and Social Change in Nigeria' (2014). His works also include 'Man One-Day Job: Masculinity, Money, Intimacy in Nigeria' (2017) and 'Household Own Government: Improvised Infrastructure, Entrepreneurial Citizens in Nigeria' (2022), published by Princeton University Press. Smith's ongoing project looks into the phenomenon of unfinished houses in Nigeria, analyzing the stories behind these structures to reflect on contemporary life in Africa.

Research Interests

Bureaucracy Gender Global Health Inequality and Poverty Religion and Politics Medical Anthropology Political Anthropology

Experience

Director, Africa Initiative

— Present

Brown University • Providence, RI

Responsible for leading interdisciplinary research efforts focused on African studies.

Courses

ANTH 66J: So You Want to Change the World?: Anthropological Perspectives on Global Poverty and Development ANTH 100: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology ANTH 110: Anthropology of Global Social Problems ANTH 300: Culture and Health ANTH 1310: Global Health: Anthropological Perspectives ANTH 1313: Are We Together?: Culture, Structure, and Health Disparities ANTH 1320: Anthropology of International Development: Ethnographic Perspectives on Poverty and Progress ANTH 1960: Anthropology of Infrastructure: Comparative Ethnographic Perspectives ANTH 1990: Senior Seminar ANTH 2010: Principles of Cultural Anthropology ANTH 2300: Issues in Anthropology of Population ANTH 2304: Issues in Anthropology of Population ANTH 2110: Critical Perspectives: Social and Cultural Issues in Africa ANTH 2320: Anthropology of Development: Critical Ethnographic Perspectives

Requirements for Brown University

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GRE General
TOEFL
Total
Required:90
IELTS
Overall
Required:7
Prerequisites
Undergraduate degree in Economics or related field
Application Checklist
  • Personal Statement
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  • 3 Letters of Recommendation
  • GRE Scores
  • TOEFL/IELTS Scores (if applicable)
Specialization Notes

Department: Department of Economics