Dr. David Pedersen

Biography

David Pedersen is a historically minded anthropologist with a joint degree in disciplines from the University of Michigan, awarded in 2004. His research and teaching focus on capitalist relations from the 20th century to the present in the Americas. In his book, 'American Value: Migrants, Money, Meaning,' published by the University of Chicago Press in 2014, he explores the relationships between El Salvador and the United States, particularly how these countries have been reshaped over decades by transnational migration and remittance circulation. Currently, Pedersen is working on a new book titled 'Capitol Crisis: Memory, Imagination Breaking Habit,' which examines the relationship between contemporary patterns of capitalist restructuring and historical tendencies, as expressed in the protests that occurred on January 6, 2021, in Washington, DC. The book begins and ends at the Capitol, tracing journeys across the country and investigating how changing habits influence human feelings and actions related to memory and imagination. He serves on the advisory board of UC San Diego's Center for Comparative Immigration Studies and the executive committee of the Science Studies Program, in addition to being affiliated with the Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind at UC San Diego. Pedersen maintains an engaged research project focused on San Diego Bay, collaborating with colleagues at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and receiving funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to support interdisciplinary research on the ecotoxin buildup in the Bay and its impact on local seafood harvesting and consumption practices.

Research Interests