معرفی
Elisabeth Anker is an Associate Professor of American Studies and Political Science at George Washington University, serving as Director of the Film Studies Program. Her work bridges political theory and cultural studies, focusing on freedom, violence, and power in US contexts. She co-edits the interdisciplinary journal Theory&Event and appears frequently on media platforms like Al Jazeera and BBC.
Education: Ph.D. in Political Science from UC Berkeley (2007), Ed.M. from Harvard (1998), and A.B. from Brown University (1997).
Research emphasizes 'ugly freedoms'—how freedom ideals both enable domination (e.g., white supremacy, neoliberalism) and emerge in marginalized practices. Her book Ugly Freedoms (Duke, 2022) explores this paradox through film, art, and historical analysis. Earlier work Orgies of Feeling (2014) examines melodrama's role in legitimizing state violence.
Teaching includes graduate courses on neoliberalism, critical theory, and American political thought, as well as undergraduate seminars on democracy and film studies.
Awards include Romero Prize finalist status and a Choice Academic Title. Media contributions address contemporary events like Black Lives Matter and the 2020 U.S. election.
