Ben Eyre
Biographic Data
| ID | 144033 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Ben Eyre |
| GIVEN NAMES | Ben |
| FAMILY NAME | Eyre |
| SIGNATURE | BEN EYRE |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Bologna |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-1944-4838 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 6 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 9 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 6 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2021 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Thinking through payment in fieldwork
Ethnographic research has long illuminated diverse economic relations. Yet ethnographers have said little about an economic relation that they themselves often rely on: payment in fieldwork. Indeed, the particularities of monetary exchange between ethnographers and their interlocutors often remain hidden—or taboo. This is so even though thinking through reciprocity is increasingly important in discussions of anthropological research ethics and th…
Beyond the ‘tyranny of metrics’? Indicator literacy in sustainable finance
Sustainable finance ‘thought leaders’ call for metrics as the key to aligning investment with sustainability objectives and harnessing the market for ‘good’. In this article, we consider how measurement is used in sustainable finance through three case studies of financial instruments described as bonds (green, forest, and impact) and develop Sally Engle Merry's concept of ‘indicator literacy’ as a contribution to critical geographies of sustaina…
Building a life as a beneficiary of philanthrocapitalism
Tracing processes in which "philanthrocapitalism" generates benefits enables exploration of value-making through hierarchical global relations. Peripheral vision based on fieldwork in Rungwe District shows putative beneficiaries' ways of valuing support exceed donors' intentions. The philanthropic intervention model is organized around the concept of a chain of value addition by and for farmers. This is represented by increased income, which rema…
Concerning distributive labour
The promotion of smallholder dairy farming in Rungwe District, Tanzania has been enormously successful, with the vast majority of households now in possession of productive dairy cows. This article compares supposedly traditional loans with self-help groups directly established by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that both reveal 'big' recipients rather than distributors of resources, and that those carrying out development activities often …
Action as Method
Anthropologists have persuasively made a case for critical ethnographic engagement with elites in recent years. The most significant risk of such an approach is that it may appear meaningless to powerful actors who claim they want to 'do good', such as impact investors and philanthropists. This article suggests that producing intermediary outputs targeted at these powerful actors first would generate the potential for solving contemporary problem…
Effective or expedient
Advocates of philanthropy often frame its worth through efficacy. Critical voices counter such narratives by exposing the social construction of these ideas by hegemonic forces. But they do not interrogate concepts of efficacy through close attention to the process of doing philanthropy. To address this gap, this article engages with philanthropy through the anthropology of techniques. Based on three months of participant observation among high-n…
Beyond the ‘tyranny of metrics’? Indicator literacy in sustainable finance
Sustainable finance ‘thought leaders’ call for metrics as the key to aligning investment with sustainability objectives and harnessing the market for ‘good’. In this article, we consider how measurement is used in sustainable finance through three case studies of financial instruments described as bonds (green, forest, and impact) and develop Sally Engle Merry's concept of ‘indicator literacy’ as a contribution to critical geographies of sustaina…
Effective or expedient
Advocates of philanthropy often frame its worth through efficacy. Critical voices counter such narratives by exposing the social construction of these ideas by hegemonic forces. But they do not interrogate concepts of efficacy through close attention to the process of doing philanthropy. To address this gap, this article engages with philanthropy through the anthropology of techniques. Based on three months of participant observation among high-n…
Concerning distributive labour
The promotion of smallholder dairy farming in Rungwe District, Tanzania has been enormously successful, with the vast majority of households now in possession of productive dairy cows. This article compares supposedly traditional loans with self-help groups directly established by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that both reveal 'big' recipients rather than distributors of resources, and that those carrying out development activities often …
Action as Method
Anthropologists have persuasively made a case for critical ethnographic engagement with elites in recent years. The most significant risk of such an approach is that it may appear meaningless to powerful actors who claim they want to 'do good', such as impact investors and philanthropists. This article suggests that producing intermediary outputs targeted at these powerful actors first would generate the potential for solving contemporary problem…
Effective or expedient
Advocates of philanthropy often frame its worth through efficacy. Critical voices counter such narratives by exposing the social construction of these ideas by hegemonic forces. But they do not interrogate concepts of efficacy through close attention to the process of doing philanthropy. To address this gap, this article engages with philanthropy through the anthropology of techniques. Based on three months of participant observation among high-n…
Action as Method
Anthropologists have persuasively made a case for critical ethnographic engagement with elites in recent years. The most significant risk of such an approach is that it may appear meaningless to powerful actors who claim they want to 'do good', such as impact investors and philanthropists. This article suggests that producing intermediary outputs targeted at these powerful actors first would generate the potential for solving contemporary problem…
Concerning distributive labour
The promotion of smallholder dairy farming in Rungwe District, Tanzania has been enormously successful, with the vast majority of households now in possession of productive dairy cows. This article compares supposedly traditional loans with self-help groups directly established by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that both reveal 'big' recipients rather than distributors of resources, and that those carrying out development activities often …
Beyond the ‘tyranny of metrics’? Indicator literacy in sustainable finance
Sustainable finance ‘thought leaders’ call for metrics as the key to aligning investment with sustainability objectives and harnessing the market for ‘good’. In this article, we consider how measurement is used in sustainable finance through three case studies of financial instruments described as bonds (green, forest, and impact) and develop Sally Engle Merry's concept of ‘indicator literacy’ as a contribution to critical geographies of sustaina…
Building a life as a beneficiary of philanthrocapitalism
Tracing processes in which "philanthrocapitalism" generates benefits enables exploration of value-making through hierarchical global relations. Peripheral vision based on fieldwork in Rungwe District shows putative beneficiaries' ways of valuing support exceed donors' intentions. The philanthropic intervention model is organized around the concept of a chain of value addition by and for farmers. This is represented by increased income, which rema…
Thinking through payment in fieldwork
Ethnographic research has long illuminated diverse economic relations. Yet ethnographers have said little about an economic relation that they themselves often rely on: payment in fieldwork. Indeed, the particularities of monetary exchange between ethnographers and their interlocutors often remain hidden—or taboo. This is so even though thinking through reciprocity is increasingly important in discussions of anthropological research ethics and th…
Law (5 works) · Political science (5 works) · Sociology (5 works) · Anthropological Studies and Insights (3 works) · Law (3 works) · Agriculture, Land Use, Rural Development (2 works) · Anthropology: Ethics, History, Culture (2 works) · Beneficiary (2 works) · Economics (2 works) · Epistemology (2 works)