Whenever people get together to exchange goods they have to agree on how to interact — the rules of the game. In that sense, all markets are moral. This course will examine the variable moral systems through which market exchange occurs, whether your local farmers markets or the global financial market. We will challenge the assumption that such phenomena are driven by universal human instincts or economic principles that transcend ethical questions. Ethnographic work analyzing diverse forms of exchange across the world will guide our study. They will situate markets — and “the market” concept — within particular histories, ideologies, discourses and spaces. Our readings will include some classical texts as well as contemporary rereadings of such work; news coverage and analysis of global market crises and conflict; and work in anthropology on the intersection of money, politics and corporate interests. Students will spend time studying and analyzing a market of their choosing.