Susan Paulson, PhD

Professor

Cultural Anthropology

Susan Paulson is a Professor in Anthropology and the Center for Latin American Studies at the University of Florida, specializing in political ecology, gender/class/ethnoracial systems, and sustainability science, with regional expertise in the Andes, the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, and Latin America broadly. Her research examines how gender, class, and ethnoracial systems interact with biophysical environments, including bodies and landscapes, drawing on 15 years of living and working across South America, including graduate programs at CESU in Bolivia and CBC in Perú. Dr. Paulson currently collaborates with international interdisciplinary teams on research examining rural territorial dynamics in Latin America and the emerging paradigm of degrowth.

Areas of Specialization

  • Political ecology
  • Gender, class and ethnoracial systems
  • Sustainability

Courses Taught

List of courses taught, including title and how often each is offered.
Course Title Frequency
LAS 6938 Power and Environment: Political Ecology Perspectives on Conservation and Development TBD
LAS 6293 Design and Methods of Research in Latin American Studies TBD
LAS 4935/LAS 6938 Environmental Social Movements in Latin America TBD

Education

  • Ph.D. Anthropology, University of Chicago, 1992
  • M.A. Anthropology, University of Chicago, 1986
  • B.A., Sociology & Anthropology, Carleton College, 1983

Publications & Profiles

Publications(ORCiD)
ResearchGate
Academia Profile
LinkedIn

Featured Books

Book cover promoting degrowth as an alternative economic and social model, titled “DEGROWTH” with subtitle “case for.” Black cyclist silhouette with child trailer overlays a turquoise European city scene, while lower black panel lists authors Giorgos Kallis, Susan Paulson, Giacomo D’Alisa, and Federico Demaria in turquoise and white lettering.
The Case For Degrowth
2020 | Polity Press
Making the case for degrowth as a path to living well with less, this book draws on global initiatives and traditions to outline transformative policies for work, care, income, and investment that prioritize wellbeing, equity, and sustainability over endless economic expansion.
Book cover for Routledge Research in Gender and Society volume, *Masculinities and Femininities in Latin America’s Uneven Development*. Susan Paulson appears as author, with abstract blue-and-white flowing design and Routledge branding
Masculinities and Femininities in Latin America's Uneven Development
2016| Routledge
This book develops a new theoretical approach to understanding how gender arrangements shape historical and geographical change across Latin America, combining regional data on shifting labor, demographic, and violence patterns with ethnographic case studies from Mexico, Chile, and Bolivia to challenge conventional gender binaries and highlight opportunities for more balanced institutions and development.