Carol Breckenridge facts for kids
Carol A. Breckenridge (1942–2009) was an American anthropologist and a history professor. She taught at the New School for Social Research. An anthropologist is someone who studies human societies and cultures, looking at how people live, think, and interact.
Carol Breckenridge wrote many books and articles. Her work often explored how different cultures, power, and traditions connect, especially in places like South India. She also looked at how societies and art changed in India after 1850.
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Who Was Carol Breckenridge?
Carol A. Breckenridge was born in 1942 and passed away in 2009. She was known for her deep studies of culture and society. She focused on how different parts of a society, like its government, religion, and daily life, all fit together.
Her Work and Studies
Carol Breckenridge was very interested in how cultures change and connect around the world. She studied topics like colonialism, which is when one country takes control over another. She also explored how traditions and power work together in different societies.
Exploring Cultures and Societies
Much of her research focused on India. She studied how society and art developed there, especially after the mid-1800s. She also looked at "cosmopolitan cultural forms," which means how different cultures mix and create new ways of life in big cities around the world.
Starting a New Journal
In 1988, Carol Breckenridge helped start an important academic journal called Public Culture. She co-founded it with Arjun Appadurai, who was also an anthropologist and her husband. This journal became a key place for discussing how cultures are changing and connecting across the globe. It helped define the study of globalization and transnational cultures.
Her Education and Life
Carol Breckenridge earned her Ph.D. (a very high university degree) from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1976. Before teaching at the New School, she was a professor at the University of Chicago. She taught in the department that focused on South Asian languages and civilizations. Carol Breckenridge died on October 4, 2009.
