Dia Da Costa

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Associate Professor, Global Development Studies, on leave
PhD Development Sociology (Cornell, US)

Cross-appointed with the Department of Sociology and the Program of Cultural Studies

Curriculum Vitae (PDF 168KB)

email: dacosta@queensu.ca
phone: X. 79048 
fax: 613-533-2986

Global Development Studies
Mac-Corry A403
No courses taught in 2012-13
Office hours - TBD

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Research Interests:

Cultural Politics; Feminist, Marxian, and Postcolonial Theory; Affect, Performance, Political Activism, and Social Movements; Gender and Development; South Asia

My research and teaching emphasize the cultural politics of development policy and practice, as examined in political performance, activism, and social movements in South Asia. I have published on questions of gender, education, labour, health, and development policy approaches to ‘culture’ in an effort to problematize ‘development’ as an ever contested construction of ‘the good life’, new social futures, and citizenship. At present, I am completing a book that views activist performance as a space of labour and livelihood struggles, taking into account contemporary theorizations on work, affect, activism, and performance.

I am also transitioning to a new area of research interest that studies the pedagogical, representational, and political economic processes entailed in the introduction of micro-insurance in India—in particular crop and weather insurance.

    Supervisory interests

I encourage graduate study applications interested in grassroots and feminist approaches to development and cultural practice and politics, as well as students interested in the rigorous study of post/colonial history and ethnographic context of ‘development’ as part of their graduate training.

I supervise in areas of ‘popular’ cultural production and the politics of development practice; ‘culture’ in the global political economy; contemporary social and cultural theory; South Asia.

Other Appointments:

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