Raja Swamy

Raja Swamy is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. His work bridges critical disaster studies, political economy, and political ecology, focusing on the intersections of globalization, climate change, and inequality in India, South Asia, and the United States.

• Ph.D. in Social Anthropology, University of Texas, Austin (2011)
• M.A. in Sociocultural Anthropology, Michigan State University (2004)
• M.A. in Educational Technology & Instructional Design, Michigan State University (2000)

Swamy examines how neoliberal economic development exacerbates vulnerabilities post-disaster, drawing on theoretical frameworks like Rhythmanalysis, Metabolic Rift Theory, and Conjunctural Analysis. His research spans post-2004 tsunami recovery in India and Hurricane Harvey aftermaths in Houston, Texas, critiquing capitalist disaster responses.

His scholarly trends emphasize the political economy of water, contested vulnerability frameworks, and the humanitarian gift economy. His publications address ecological inequality, heritage tourism as reconstruction strategy, and grassroots resistance to neoliberal policies.

• 2022 Excellence in Advising Award (University of Tennessee, Knoxville)

Swamy has secured NSF funding for collaborative research on Hurricane Harvey’s impact on working-class communities of color. He teaches courses on Anthropology of Global Inequality, Humanitarianism, Disasters, and Political Anthropology. His work features in podcasts like Pretty Heady Stuff and radio interviews, engaging public discourse on disaster capitalism.