Peter C. Little

Peter C. Little is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at Rhode Island College, where he teaches courses in cultural anthropology, environmental anthropology, medical anthropology, and environmental justice. His academic home is the Department of Anthropology at Rhode Island College, where he has established himself as a leading scholar in the intersections of environmental and medical anthropology.

Dr. Little earned his Ph.D. from Oregon State University, his M.A. from Northern Arizona University, and his B.A. from Binghamton University. His educational background has equipped him with the theoretical and methodological tools to engage deeply with complex issues at the intersection of human societies and environmental challenges.

His research focuses on environmental and medical anthropology, with particular emphasis on environmental health and political ecology. Dr. Little is fascinated by the complexities of human-environment relations and the human dimensions of ecology and economy. His work explores the social, political, and health dimensions of industrial pollution, drawing connections between anthropology, environmental studies, disaster studies, science and technology studies, and environmental justice activism. He has conducted extensive fieldwork in Ghana on e-waste issues and in Upstate New York on IBM-related pollution.

Dr. Little's publications demonstrate a clear trajectory of scholarly development, with a consistent focus on the political ecology of technology, pollution, and environmental justice. His work spans from early research on IBM's pollution in Endicott, New York (leading to his 2014 book "Toxic Town") to more recent explorations of e-waste in Ghana (culminating in his 2022 book "Burning Matters") and broader analyses of technocapital in his 2023 book "Critical Zones of Technopower and Global Political Ecology." His scholarship consistently centers marginalized communities affected by technological development and industrial pollution.

Dr. Little has received recognition for his work, including an Honorable Mention for the Peter Kong-Ming New Award from the Society for Applied Anthropology in 2007 and a Junior Fellowship from the American Academy of Political and Social Science in 2002. His research has been supported by prestigious grants, including a Post-PhD Research Grant from the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research and a Dissertation Improvement Grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation.

As an educator, Dr. Little has developed and taught numerous courses that reflect his interdisciplinary approach, including Introduction to Cultural Anthropology, Environmental Anthropology, Medical Anthropology, Environmental Justice, and specialized first-year seminars on topics such as Waste Matters and Dynamics of Disaster. His teaching integrates his research expertise with pedagogical approaches that emphasize environmental justice and community engagement.

Dr. Little's work demonstrates a sustained commitment to understanding and addressing the environmental health challenges posed by industrial development and technological advancement, with particular attention to questions of justice, equity, and community resilience in the face of environmental contamination.