Hello Draper students,
Draper’s Director Robin Nagle will be giving a talk on Thursday, April 24, on the New York Department of Sanitation in discussion with her most recent book, “Picking Up”. Light refreshments will be served at the event, read more and RSVP below!
unCOMMON Salon Series @ the Research Commons Presented by Business & Government Documents, Coles Science Center, Social Sciences & Humanities Reference Center
“Labors of Waste and the Value of Knowledge”
A talk by Dr. Robin Nagle
Thursday, April 24th from 6:00 – 7:30pm
Bobst Library, 5th Floor West, Media Viewing Center
An effective means of managing garbage is necessary for any urban area to thrive. This talk delves into the history and contemporary details of New York City’s municipal solid waste management system and reveals the surprising complexities of what most people assume is a straightforward task. What kinds of expertise are necessary to do the job well? How are these forms of knowledge acquired? Given their importance in the daily well-being of the city, how is such knowledge valued or discounted, and by whom? What’s the consequence of invisibility when it’s a regular part of life for a workforce of 10,000 people?
Robin Nagle’s most recent book, Picking Up, is an ethnography of New York’s Department of Sanitation. As part of her research, she was hired as a New York City sanitation worker. During her time on the job, she loaded out trucks, operated mechanical brooms, and plowed snow. She is the anthropologist-in-residence for the DSNY, is a clinical associate professor of anthropology, and directs the Draper Interdisciplinary Master’s Program in the Graduate School of Arts and Science.
Light refreshments will be served.
All are welcome!
Please RSVP at: