In Focus: Reflections on Anthropology News

AAA Debuts New Blog Design

2009-04-16T11:17:00.003-04:00

AAA is pleased to announce the debut of our new, unified association blog, available at http://blog.aaanet.org. We have created this blog as a service to our members and the general public. It is a forum to discuss topics of debate in anthropology and a space for public commentary on association policies, publications and advocacy issues. We will post select items that we think are of interest to our members and that readers have voiced an interest in. We invite all anthropologists to use this domain to stimulate intellectual discussion, and would be delighted to host guest bloggers who are active in any of anthropology’s four fields.

The new AAA blog, available through Wordpress, combines our previous Anthropology News, Public Affairs and Human Rights blogs, with all archived content and comments migrated from Blogger to Wordpress. The updated format enables visitors to easily post comments, link to our Flickr photostream, search content, browse posts by category, find other anthropology blogs, and more. This is a living forum, and we welcome your feedback! Use the “Contact Us” bar at the top of the screen to tell us what you think of this new design and to offer content suggestions.

AAA thanks staff members Brian Estes, Lisa Myers and Dinah Winnick, and intern Leo Napper, for their work in developing this online forum. Visit the new blog today!

Note: New posts will no longer be added to the original Anthropology News blog.

April AN Now Online

2009-04-01T17:07:00.005-04:00

April AN commentaries addressing visual ethics and multisensory/multimedia anthropology, are now available as featured articles on our website. Want to access articles that appeared in other sections of AN? The complete April issue is now available through AnthroSource. Simply visit www.aaanet.org, click on “Member/AnthroSource Login,” submit your login info, then click “Use it now!”

To view full color images from our April photo essays, plus additional photos, visit our Flickr page. And remember, AN always welcomes letters to the editor (up to 400 words), so please send you thoughts on our April issue to dwinnick@aaanet.org for possible publication.

UNESCO Courier Addresses Endangered Languages

2009-03-05T16:08:00.002-05:00

The current issue of the UNESCO Courier focuses on the theme "Endangered Languages, Endangered Thought," featuring several articles on this important topic in honor of International Mother Language Day (February 21).

New Commentaries Online: Perinatal Care and Reproductive Governance

2009-03-04T16:39:00.003-05:00

March AN features In Focus series on perinatal care and reproductive governance. These two series, plus a commentary in our continuing Work-Life Balance series, are now available for download. Visit our website for series descriptions and articles.

Also, remember to check out the results of our 2008 Photo Contest. Full-color photo images are available on Flickr. Visit both our 2008 Photo Contest Winners and Finalists gallery and 2008 Photo Contest Semifinalists gallery.

Written in Bone: A New Smithsonian Exhibit

2009-02-26T15:50:00.004-05:00

"Written in Bone: Forensic Files of the 17th-Century Chesapeake" opened February 7th at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. Curated by forensic anthropologists Doug Owsley and Kari Bruwelheide, the exhibit provides information both on 17th-Century Chesapeake ways of life and also on forensic anthropology as a field. It incorporates 340 objects, artifacts and humans bones from more than 20 archaeological organizations and museums, and also includes educational components, such as a hands-on forensic anthropology lab, companion books and an interactive website.

AAA staff Dinah Winnick and Joseph Jones attended a special preview of the exhibit. Speaking about the purpose of exhibit's educational components during the event, Owsley remarked, "I never heard the words 'forensic anthropology' until college. One professor can make a huge difference." He highlighted the importance of educating kids and the general public about anthropology, and the necessity of teaching scientific methodologies, so that they can learn to ask the right kinds of questions.

For photos of the exhibit, see the Anthropology News Flickr gallery. Also, visit the exhibit website to learn more. The exhibition will be on view through February 6, 2011.

Photo Contest Images Now on Flickr

2009-02-26T15:44:00.003-05:00

Winners of the 2008 Photo Contest have been announced and their photos are now available online!

The contest committee reviewed 294 entries from 73 participants, selecting 54 photos as semifinalists. From that group 20 finalists were selected, including four top winners. All images selected as finalists and winners can be viewed online through our Flickr gallery. These photos will also be featured in March AN and will be hung as prints in the AAA office beginning late spring. Semifinalist photos will be available on Flickr soon.

Curious about the recording featured in the Peter Biella's winning photo? An excerpt is available here and through the AAA podcast.

Stay tuned to Anthropology News and this blog for information on the 2009 contest, coming soon.

New AN CFP: Codifying Anthro Ethics

2009-02-26T15:39:00.003-05:00

Anthropology News seeks contributions for a thematic series on anthropological ethics at a key moment during the AAA Code of Ethics revision. We ask our members to pause and consider what this process should entail. What are your thoughts about the notion of codifying ethics? Have you encountered ethically complex situations where guidance would have been helpful? How have available guidelines and advice met or failed to meet your needs?

View the full call for proposals and submission guidelines on our website

Proposal submission deadline: May 25, 2009.
Early submissions are encouraged.

The Best of Anthropology Blogging 2008

2009-02-09T13:44:00.001-05:00

What do Norse rune stones, the Sarah Palin effect, Neanderthal language, and the anthropology of YouTube have in common? They are all part of Best of Anthropology Blogging 2008.

Anthropology online has gone mainstream. Millions of people have interacted with the digital content anthropologists create everyday. The Best of Anthro 2008 shows that content off using the best work from 36 anthropology blogs. The posts cover the entire spectrum of anthropology, including all four fields as well as medical and applied anthropology and media studies.

For fun, start with the all-inclusive Best of Anthro 2008 prizes, ranging from Best 3D Inuit Map to Best Use of Ritalin. You can also check out everyone’s submissions and the list of participating blogs.

The Relevance of Anthropology-Part One uses this online collection to discuss public anthropology, our anthropological vision, and definitions and debates about being human. Part Two shows how anthropology delivers critique and public commentary online, contributes to scholarship, employs language in innovative ways, and demonstrates how blogging and other types of online interactions represent a powerful new domain for anthropology.

As a resource for teaching, the Best of Anthro provides an online reader that students can explore. It’s also an easy and entertaining way for the public to discover what anthropology is about. After all, it’s only a click away.

The Best of Anthro was created by Daniel Lende at the University of Notre Dame, and is hosted at Neuroanthropology.net. Anthropology News thanks Daniel for this post and welcomes comments on the Best of Anthropology Blogging 2008.

February In Focus Now Online

2009-02-02T16:55:00.003-05:00

The AAA website is now featuring February Anthropology News In Focus commentaries under the themes "Reproductive Technologies" and "Reproductive Subjects."

Reproductive Technologies
The development and increasing availability of assisted reproductive and contraceptive technologies worldwide has dramatically impacted the ways in which families make reproductive choices. Here, five contributors examine such technologies and the political, social and economic contexts within which they are employed by parents-to-be, surrogates, gamete donors and healthcare providers in both public and private health sectors. See articles by Viola Hoerbst, Lara Braff, Emilia Sanabria, Suzanne Pelka and Kalindi Vora

Reproductive Subjects
Reproductive practices engender a variety of complex subjectivities that are locally experienced and articulated in compelling ways. Contributors to this series examine the construction of reproductive subjects through conception, pregnancy, birth and infant care, as well as contraceptive practices. Their commentaries provide insight into the diverse forms of personhood constructed through reproduction—from “credible” sexual assault victims, to “responsible” pregnant women, to parents as “informed consumers.” See articles by Sameena Mulla, Cecilia McCallum/Ana Paula dos Reis/Greice Menezes, Sallie Han, Ellen Lewin, Charlotte Faircloth and Rebecca Howes-Mischel.

Visit our website to read these articles today. Complete electronic access to February AN will be available soon via AnthroSource.

CFP Deadline Extended to Jan 28 -- Submit Your Proposal Today!

2009-01-15T16:33:00.003-05:00

The deadline for proposals for the upcoming AN issue on veterans of military conflicts has been extended to January 28. Early submissions are encouraged. For details about this call for proposals, see our website.

New AN CFP: Military Veterans

2008-12-30T13:02:00.003-05:00

Anthropology News seeks contributions for a thematic issue on veterans of military conflicts. We welcome proposals from all areas of anthropology; by anthropologists who study, work with or teach veterans; and by anthropologists who are veterans themselves, in the US or internationally. This topic includes not only veterans as traditionally conceived, but also other participants in situations of conflict, such as child soldiers, military contractors, peacekeepers and aid workers.

The below areas of research are meant to inspire and we welcome additional topics related to this general theme:

* Education and the new GI bill
* Post-trauma recovery
* Medical and psychological healthcare
* Substance use and abuse
* Gender and sexuality
* Family relationships
* (Un)employment
* Homelessness
* Suicide and thoughts of violence
* Commemoration and memorial sites
* Public engagement, activism and service
* Use of veterans in political discourse
* Public perceptions of veterans
* Veteran groups and social networks
* Veteran identities over time

We encourage proposals for In Focus commentaries, Teaching Strategies, Field Notes articles, photo essays, infographics, interviews and more. To participate, email a 300-word proposal and 50-100-word author bio to Anthropology News editor Dinah Winnick (dwinnick@aaanet.org). Proposals for photo essays should also include five high resolution photographs, each with a caption and credit. Selected authors will be asked to submit final articles of 1000-1400 words for commentaries and 300-1000 words for other article types.

Proposal submission deadline: January 21, 2009

Proposal Deadline Approaching: Visual Ethics and Multisensory Anthro

2008-12-12T17:42:00.002-05:00

The proposal submission deadline for the Anthropology News series on (1) “Visual Ethics” and (2) “Multisensory Anthropology across Media” is approaching. If you are interested in contributing an In Focus commentary, Teaching Strategies piece, Field Notes article, photo essay, news story or interview on these topics, be sure to submit your proposal by Monday, December 15.

To participate, email a 300-word proposal and 50-100-word author bio to Anthropology News editor Dinah Winnick. Proposals for photo essays should also include five high resolution photographs, each with a caption and credit. Selected authors will be asked to submit final articles of 1000-1400 words for commentaries and 300-1000 words for other article types. Please spread the word about this opportunity among your colleagues and students. For additional info and guidelines, see our website.

Anthropology Blogs

2008-12-02T10:28:00.003-05:00

"In Focus: Reflections on Anthropology News" is just one of three active AAA blogs. Readers might also be interested in our Public Affairs blog or Human Rights blog, both of which provide links to many of the popular anthropology blogs available today. Not sure where to start? You can also check out Savage Mind's recommendations on top anthropology blogs and online journals.

Media Coverage of AAA Meeting

2008-12-01T11:55:00.004-05:00

AAA Public Affairs is currently tracking media coverage of the 2008 AAA Annual Meeting. Although a full listing of media is not yet available, as articles are still appearing, an early listing can be found on the AAA Public Affairs blog.

Coverage ranges from Inside Higher Ed's news article on the session “The Problem with ‘Community’: Rethinking Participation, Contestation, and Imagination in Spaces of Teaching and Learning," chaired by Doris Warriner, to a San Francisco Chronicle style feature. Have you spotted news coverage of the annual meeting? Email Lauren Schwartz at lschwartz@aaanet.org.

AAA Annual Meeting on Flickr

2008-11-22T17:44:00.003-05:00

Are you attending the AAA Annual Meeting? Did you miss the meeting this year? Anthropology News is covering the 107th Annual Meeting of the AAA in print and online through our Flickr photostream. Select images are currently available to view, and additional photos will be online soon.

To make your photos accessible online, simply upload them to your own Flickr gallery and add "107th AAA Meeting" as a tag.

Call for Proposals: Deadline Extended

2008-11-18T16:07:00.002-05:00

Anthropology News is pleased to extend the proposal deadline for our upcoming series on Multisensory Anthropology across Media and Visual Ethics. The new proposal deadline is Dec 15, 2008. For more information see the below call for proposals or our website.

See you all at the AAA Annual Meeting.

New AN CFP: Ethnography across Media

2008-10-27T14:15:00.002-04:00

Proposal submission deadline: December 1, 2008.

Anthropology News seeks contributions for two series that explore how ethnographic work is produced through diverse media. The below prompts are meant to inspire and we welcome additional topics related to these general themes.

Multisensory Anthropology across Media
More than just ways of thinking and being, cultures are also fields of sensation, experience and sentiment. Indeed fieldwork remains the sine qua non of ethnographic understanding precisely in so far as both cultural transmission and cultural understanding depend on experiential engagement. Recognizing this, many contemporary anthropologists seek to explore the variety of media—including video, music, photography, digital ethnography and creative writing—through which such multisensory experiences and knowledges can be communicated. Drawing from diverse modes of creative expression, from traditional forms of ethnographic writing to work that makes use of performance or new technologies, submissions should focus on how media can be harnessed to ethnographically convey different kinds of information.

Visual Ethics
As access to digital media increases, discussions of “visual ethics”—ethical considerations regarding the collection and dissemination of visual data—become ever-more incumbent on anthropologists using this data. This conversation is framed by the varying, sometimes conflicting needs and interests of those who produce and consume visual data, including research communities and anthropologists across all subfields. This series seeks to explore the following issue: (1) negotiating representational authority; (2) control in the circulation of images; (3) displaying images in different contexts, including textbooks, conferences and film festivals; (4) relations with and responsibilities toward research subjects and communities; (5) balancing rights to privacy and knowledge circulation; and (6) the collection and dissemination of visual materials within the context of globally expanding use of and access to digital media.

For guidelines see our website.

Reproductive Politics CFP Extended to Oct 30

2008-10-23T17:01:00.001-04:00

As we have received such a positive response from interested contributors, we will be extending the proposal submission deadline one week. The new proposal deadline is October 30, 2008.

To participate, email a 300-word proposal and 50-100-word author bio to Anthropology News editor Dinah Winnick at dwinnick@aaanet.org. Proposals for photo essays should also include five high resolution photographs, each with a caption and credit. Selected authors will be asked to submit final articles of 1000-1400 words for commentaries and 300-1000 words for other article types.

For details see the post below or see our website.

Deadline Approaching: Reproductive Politics CFP

2008-10-10T16:02:00.003-04:00

Do you work in the area of reproductive politics? AN is seeking contributions for an issue on this theme to be published in February 2009. Proposal submission deadline: October 23, 2008. Potential topics in include, but are not limited to:

Reproductive Technologies: assisted conception (eg, IVF), cryopreservation, surrogacy, gamete donation, obstetric sonography, prenatal testing, contraception, abortion

Public Health and Policy: family planning and contraception, sex education and teen sexuality, insurance and medical liability, midwife certification and regulation, ACOG and AMA policies, maternal and infant mortality, social determinants of maternal-child health

Making People, Making Families: from fetus to child, concepts of parenthood, foster care, adoption, LGBT parents, single parents

Perinatal Care: health providers (eg, doctors, midwives, doulas), birth models (eg, homebirth, hospital birth, midwifery care), post-partum adjustment, infant nutrition, maternity/paternity leave

To participate, email a 300-word proposal and 50-100-word author bio to Anthropology News editor Dinah Winnick at dwinnick@aaanet.org. Proposals for photo essays should also include five high resolution photographs, each with a caption and credit. Selected authors will be asked to submit final articles of 1000-1400 words for commentaries and 300-1000 words for other article types. For the full CFP, see our website.

Food Crisis Coverage in AN

2008-10-08T15:25:00.006-04:00

In addition to In Focus commentaries on food security, Anthropology News is happy to feature additional articles on this topic in other sections of our October issue. We encourage you to read the following articles, available currently in your print AN and available online through AnthroSource in the coming weeks.

Knowledge Exchange feature: "In the Wake of Cyclone Nargis: Food Security, Information Flows and Foreign Aid" by Ingrid Jordt (pg 19)

Human Rights Forum: "Can a Right-to-Food Approach Help?" by Ellen Messer (pg 22-3)

Teaching Strategies: "Unwrapping Hunger in the Classroom: Teaching the Anthropology of Food and Food Policy" by Ellen Messer (pg 25)

Anthropology Works: "Food Security from a Practitioner Perspective" (pg 26)

SAFN column: "Task Force on World Food Problems" by Deborah Rubin and Rachel Black (pg 57-8).

We welcome you to share your comments here.

October Issue: Food Security

2008-10-02T17:35:00.004-04:00

October AN features two In Focus commentary series examining food security, with PDFs of series articles available on the AAA website. Series include:

1. World Food Crisis: An overview of the current world food crisis, in addition to regional and national case analysis. Authors examine the causes and repercussions of food system instability and provide insight into national food self-sufficiency, climate change and crop production, resource depletion, overconsumption and shifts in traditional diets and food economies. Featuring: Solomon H Katz, Tom Marchione, Lois Stanford, Barrett P Brenton, Alice Brooke Wilson and Tom Philpott

2. Food Insecurity and HIV/AIDS: Contributors examine the co-occurring threats of HIV/AIDS, food insecurity and poverty at multiple levels--from the body’s immune response, to the household’s coping strategies, to the population’s struggle with inflation and rising food costs. Featuring: Merrill Singer, David A Himmelgreen, Nancy Romero-Daza, John Mazzeo and Lauren Classen.

For additional content in the area of food security, see our print issue, which will also be made available online soon, in its entirety, through AnthroSource.

The October issue also features a photo essay by Maximilian Viatori, with online photo gallery.

We welcome you to share your comments here.

Incarceration CFP Deadline Extended to Monday 9/29, 9:00am EST

2008-09-25T16:02:00.002-04:00

In response to extension requests, proposals for the Anthropology News issue on incarceration will now be accepted through Monday, Sept 29, 9:00 am EST. For information on this opportunity, see the September 19 post below or the online call for proposals.

Call for Proposals: Reproductive Politics (Due Oct 23)

2008-09-24T14:45:00.003-04:00

Do you work in the area of reproductive politics? AN is seeking contributions for an issue on this theme to be published in February 2009. Potential topics for commentaries, photo essays, field notes and teaching strategies articles include, but are not limited to:

Reproductive Technologies: assisted conception (eg, IVF), cryopreservation, surrogacy, gamete donation, obstetric sonography, prenatal testing, contraception, abortion

Public Health and Policy: family planning and contraception, sex education and teen sexuality, insurance and medical liability, midwife certification and regulation, ACOG and AMA policies, maternal and infant mortality, social determinants of maternal-child health

Making People, Making Families: from fetus to child, concepts of parenthood, foster care, adoption, LGBT parents, single parents

Perinatal Care: health providers (eg, doctors, midwives, doulas), birth models (eg, homebirth, hospital birth, midwifery care), post-partum adjustment, infant nutrition, maternity/paternity leave

To participate, email a 300-word proposal and 50-100-word author bio to editor Dinah Winnick (dwinnick@aaanet.org). Proposals for photo essays should also include five high resolution photographs, each with a caption and credit. Selected authors will be asked to submit final articles of 1000-1400 words for commentaries and 300-1000 words for other article types. Proposal submission deadline: October 23, 2008

Deadline Sept 25: Incarceration CFP

2008-09-19T15:12:00.002-04:00

Anthropology News welcomes proposals for our January 2009 issue on incarceration. All proposals related to this theme will be considered for our In Focus Commentary, Field Notes and other sections. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

* Prison industries
* Prison overcrowding
* Reentry/reintegration
* Torture and interrogation
* Extradition/rendition
* Immigrant detention
* Political imprisonment
* Psychiatric confinement
* Prison power structures and social networks
* Expressions and limits of state authority

We are particularly interested in receiving Teaching Strategies proposals from anthropologists with experience teaching in prison environments.

To participate, email a 300 word proposal and 50-100 word author bio to Anthropology News editor Dinah Winnick (dwinnick@aaanet.org) by September 25. Selected authors will be invited to submit articles of 1000-1400 words (for commentaries) or 400-1000 words (for other content). See our website for details.

Last Chance: Enter Photo Contest by Sept 15

2008-09-11T09:28:00.003-04:00

Anthropology News welcomes submissions for the first annual AAA Photo Contest, and the Sept 15 deadline is quickly approaching. Winning photographs will be printed in a fall 2008 issue of Anthropology News and displayed online. Additionally, AAA will invite selected photographers to exhibit their work at the AAA office in Arlington, VA.

Eligible photographs include those taken in the past year by current AAA members. We encourage the submission of both color and black and white photos featuring people, landscapes, events and more. Photographs that convey personal fieldwork experiences are welcome, as well as photos documenting archival work, public engagement or educational experiences.

Entries will be accepted through September 15, 2008. Click here for submission guidelines.

September Issue: Anthropology Education

2008-09-02T12:43:00.007-04:00

September AN features three In Focus commentary series focusing on anthropology education, with PDFs of series articles available on the AAA website. Series include:

Student Experiences: Commentaries on the variety of educational opportunities now available to anthropology students who seek interdisciplinary or applied training and experiences outside of the traditional. Featuring: Jennifer Cardew, Robert Chidester, Graça Índias Cordeiro, Alexandra Crampton, Jason E Miller and Puneet Chawla Sahota.
Educational Partnerships: As anthropology students, educators and partner groups pursue university-community partnership initiatives, they increasingly recognize the benefits, risks and challenges these opportunities provide. Featuring: Brian J Burke, Ben McMahan, Gigi Owen, Jennifer Coffman, Marc K Hébert, Nila Ginger Hofman, Howard Rosing and Julia Offen
Work-Life Balance: An ongoing series, introduced this month, that addresses the challenges of maintaining a comfortable work-life balance, as well as strategies developed to meet those challenges. Featuring: Gabriel Asselin, Christopher Dana Lynn. AN welcomes proposals for future articles on this topic.

The September issue also features a photo essay by Meg Gaillard, with online photo gallery, as well as additional content that will be available online soon through AnthroSource.

Read In Focus series articles online at the AAA website and share your comments here.

Call for Proposals: Incarceration (Sept 25 Deadline)

2008-08-27T15:39:00.001-04:00

Anthropology News welcomes proposals for our upcoming (January 2009) thematic issue on incarceration. All proposals related to this theme will be considered for our In Focus Commentary, Field Notes and other sections. Potential topics include, among others:

Prison industries
Prison overcrowding
Reentry/reintegration
Torture and interrogation
Extradition/rendition
Immigrant detention
Political imprisonment
Psychiatric confinement
Prison power structures and social networks
Expressions and limits of state authority

We are also particularly interested in receiving Teaching Strategies proposals from anthropologists with experience teaching in prison environments.

To participate in this thematic issue, email a 300 word proposal and 50-100 word author bio to Anthropology News editor Dinah Winnick by September 25. Proposals for photo essays should also include five high resolution photographs, each with a photo caption and credit. Selected authors will be invited to submit articles of 1000-1400 words (for commentaries) or 400-1000 words (for other content). See our website for details.

Anthropology of YouTube

2008-08-25T09:03:00.003-04:00

Welcome to the final installment of this month’s four-part Michael Wesch video series, posted as an introduction to our upcoming September issue on the anthropology student experience.

Michael Wesch and the Kansas State University Digital Ethnography Working Group continue to explore opportunities to incorporate web 2.0 technologies as core components of anthropology courses. “Introducing our YouTube Ethnography Project” presents viewers with a quick snapshot of Wesch’s digital ethnography course, with more information and student videos available on their website. “An Anthropological Introduction to YouTube” documents Wesch’s June 23, 2008 presentation at the Library of Congress, prepared in collaboration with his digital ethnography students.

For further discussion of diverse anthropology student experiences and new educational opportunities in anthropology see the forthcoming September issue of Anthropology News. We also welcome you to submit your own comments on anthropology education today.

Proposal Deadline Approaching: Housing Issue

2008-08-21T14:23:00.004-04:00

The proposal submission deadline for the Anthropology News thematic issue on housing (Dec 2008) is approaching. Please submit your brief article proposal by Monday, August 25.

All topics related to housing will be considered, and potential topics include:

Mortgage lending
Homelessness
Community (re)development
Historic preservation
Housing policy
Sense of place, rootedness, locality
Public/private distinctions
Planned and gated communities
Vernacular architecture and aesthetics
Community organization, leadership and regulation
Archaeology of residential sites

To participate in this thematic issue, email a 300 word proposal and 50-100 word author bio to Anthropology News editor Dinah Winnick. Proposals for photo essays should also include five high resolution photographs, each with a photo caption and credit. See our website for details.

Twitter and World Simulation

2008-08-18T09:07:00.001-04:00

Welcome to part three of this month’s four-part Michael Wesch video series, posted as an introduction to our upcoming September issue on the anthropology student experience.

“Twitter and World Simulation” introduces viewers to a specific example of one course designed using the tools and pedagogical concepts discussed in Wesch’s previous videos. The World Simulation Project webpage describes the project as “a radical experiment in learning that is the centerpiece of the Introduction to Cultural Anthropology course at Kansas State University, created in a fit of frustration with the large lecture hall format which seems inevitable in a classroom of 200-400 students.” The project was designed to promote critical thinking among students, and to actively engage students in their own learning process. For an in-depth discussion of the project and the technologies it incorporates, see the final 20 minutes of “A Portal to Media Literacy.”

2008 AAA Photo Contest

2008-08-14T22:56:00.004-04:00

Anthropology News welcomes submissions for the first annual AAA Photo Contest. Winning photographs will be printed in a fall 2008 issue of Anthropology News and displayed online. Additionally, AAA will invite selected photographers to exhibit their work at the AAA office in Arlington, VA.

Eigible photographs include those taken in the past year by current AAA members. We encourage the submission of both color and black and white photos featuring a variety of subjects, from landscapes and artifacts to community gatherings and ceremonies, portraits and informal group shots. Photographs that convey personal fieldwork experiences are welcome, as well as photos documenting archival work, public engagement or educational experiences.

Entries will be accepted through September 15, 2008. Click here for submission guidelines.

A Portal to Media Literacy

2008-08-11T09:25:00.000-04:00

Welcome to part two of this month’s four-part series on Michael Wesch’s recent work examining students' changing educational expectations and experiences in today's digital world, in advance of our September issue on the anthropology student experience.

“A Portal to Media Literacy” documents Wesch’s June 17, 2008 lecture at the University of Manitoba. The video provides context for “A Vision of Students Today” (see previous post) and examines ways of incorporating emerging technologies into courses to promote student engagement, participation and collaboration. Wesch describes his efforts to develop and implement alternative pedagogies, making use of students’ interest in and familiarity with social media to integrate applications such as Facebook, Twitter and Google Apps into his courses.

AN Call for Proposals: Housing

2008-08-08T09:09:00.006-04:00

AN is seeking contributions for a thematic issue on housing to be published in Dec 2008. Potential topics include:

Mortgage lending
Homelessness
Community (re)development
Historic preservation
Housing policy
Sense of place, rootedness, locality
Public/private distinctions
Planned and gated communities
Vernacular architecture and aesthetics
Community organization, leadership and regulation
Archaeology of residential sites

Proposals in other areas related to housing are also welcome, as are proposals for various sections of the paper including In Focus commentaries, Teaching Strategies, Field Notes and photo essays. To participate in this thematic issue, email a 300 word proposal and 50-100 word author bio to Anthropology News editor Dinah Winnick. Proposals for photo essays should also include five high resolution photographs, each with a photo caption and credit. More more info see our website.

Proposal submission deadline: August 25, 2008

A Vision of Students Today

2008-08-04T09:19:00.002-04:00

As an introduction to the upcoming student experience issue of Anthropology News we are pleased to feature this month a four-part blog post series on Michael Wesch’s recent work examining students' changing educational expectations and experiences in today's digital world.

“A Vision of Students Today” has been viewed more than 2.5 million times through YouTube. The film examines how the learning and communication styles, expectations, wants and needs of contemporary university students are disconnected from the outdated educational environments and pedagogical practices provided for them. Completed with Wesch’s Spring 2007 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology class at the Kansas State U, the film features students’ reflections and invites you to become engaged in dialog on this topic through http://mediatedcultures.net.

US Election Series: Proposal Deadline Extended

2008-07-21T16:55:00.010-04:00

Anthropology News has extended the proposal submission deadline for our upcoming issue on the US presidential election. The new deadline is July 28, 2008. Potential issues that articles can address include:

policy positions
campaign rhetoric
polling and public opinion data analysis
traditional and new media election coverage
the role of race and gender in the primary and general elections
comparisons with previous US or international elections

Reflections on the challenges and opportunities awaiting the incoming president are also welcome. Additionally, AN will consider proposal topics addressing the election and voting more broadly, including voter rights and (dis)enfranchisement, voter fraud, the Electoral College, partisanship and the present relationship between the legislature, executive and judiciary.

To participate in this thematic issue, email a 300 word proposal and 50-100 word author bio to AN editor Dinah Winnick. Proposals for photo essays should also include five high resolution photographs, each with a photo caption and credit. For additional details see our website.

Call for Proposals: US Presidential Election Series

2008-06-25T09:23:00.003-04:00

Anthropology News is seeking contributions for a Nov 2008 series on the US presidential election. Potential issues that articles can address include traditional and new media coverage of the election, policy positions, campaign rhetoric, polling and analysis of public opinion data, the role of race and gender in the primary and general elections, or comparisons with previous US or international elections. Reflections on the upcoming transition from the Bush administration to a new administration, or on the challenges and opportunities awaiting the incoming president, are also welcome.

To participate in this series, email a 300 word proposal and 50-100 word author bio to AN editor Dinah Winnick. Proposals for photo essays should also include five high resolution photographs, each with a photo caption and credit. We also welcome contributions in non-traditional formats and articles for other sections of AN. Early submissions are encouraged.

Proposal submission deadline: July 22, 2008
For additional details and info on other opportunities, see our website.

Food Security Proposal Deadline Extended

2008-06-18T10:29:00.002-04:00

The proposal deadline for the food security issue of Anthropology News has been extended to June 23, 2008. We welcome proposals for commentaries addressing current disaster and climate-change related food crises throughout the world, and responses to those crises. Additionally, we welcome articles that address a wide variety of other issues, including food safety and regulation; the relation between food security, economic security, disease and nutrition; the stability, loss and transformation of food traditions; agribusiness and food production; genetic engineering; and biofuels.

To participate in this thematic issue email a 300 word proposal and 50-100 word author bio to Anthropology News Associate Managing Editor Dinah Winnick. For additional information and guidelines see our website.

Food Security Proposals Due June 19

2008-06-06T11:49:00.003-04:00

AN is seeking contributions for a thematic issue on food security to be published in October 2008. As the concept of food security is multifaceted, articles can address a wide variety of issues, including food safety and regulation; the stability, loss and transformation of food traditions; food shortages and international aid; agribusiness and food production; genetic engineering; biofuels and many other topics.

In Focus commentaries will be grouped into series based on the foci of proposals received. Additional proposals on this topic are encouraged for articles in other sections of AN―including Teaching Strategies and Field Notes―and for general news features. We welcome proposals in non-traditional formats such as photo essays, infographics, op-ed cartoons, interviews and multi-authored discussions. Contributors interested in proposing article series or contributing cover photos should also contact the AN Editorial Office.

Guidelines
To participate in this thematic issue email a 300 word proposal and 50-100 word author bio to editor Dinah Winnick. Proposals for photo essays should also include five high resolution photographs, each with a photo caption and credit. Early submissions are encouraged.
Proposal submission deadline: June 19, 2008

Proposal Deadline Extended

2008-05-19T14:21:00.002-04:00

The deadline for proposals on the "anthropology student experience" Anthropology News theme has been extended to Tuesday, May 27, 9:00 am EST, due to the holiday weekend. The AAA editorial office will be closed on Monday, and all notes confirming that submissions from the holiday weekend have been received will be sent out after Memorial Day. For more information on the theme or how to submit a proposal, please see the AAA website or contact our office.

New Flickr Photo Essay Online

2008-05-15T14:14:00.005-04:00

On May 7 we introduced the Anthropology News Flickr gallery with a photo essay by Stephanie C Kane. Today we are happy to announce the posting of another photo essay, "The Virgin of Guadalupe in My Backyard," with text by Rebecca Read and photos by Jayson Ming Triplett. We welcome you to view the online gallery and read the original essay from May AN (49[5]:20). Feel free to post your comments here or on the Flickr page.

Now Available: We've Come a Long Way, Maybe

2008-05-14T11:45:00.003-04:00

The COSWA Academic Climate Report 2008 is now available for download on the AAA website. This report presents findings on topics such as work environment and work–family issues as they relate to gender equity and the experiences of faculty in US anthropology departments. For additional information see the COSWA webpage and the May AN article “Gender Disparities Remain: COSWA’s Academic Climate Report” (49[5]:22). If you have questions please send an email to Christina Wasson. We also encourage you to post comments regarding the report or your own work experiences here.

AAA Photo Contest

2008-05-09T09:34:00.006-04:00

Anthropology News welcomes submissions for the first annual AAA Photo Contest. Winning photographs will be printed in a fall 2008 issue of AN and displayed online. Additionally, AAA will invite selected photographers to exhibit their work at the AAA office in Arlington, VA.

Eligible photographs include those taken in the past year by current AAA members. We encourage the submission of both color and black and white photos featuring a variety of subjects, from landscapes and artifacts to community gatherings and ceremonies, among others. Portraits of individuals and groups as well as photographs that convey the researcher's personal fieldwork experience are also welcome. Members who are not conducting fieldwork may submit photos from related research or practitioner experiences, such as those documenting archival work or public engagement.

Each current AAA member may submit up to five photos, sent as tiff or jpg files to AN Production Editor Amy Goldenberg. All photos must be accompanied by a 50-100 word photographer bio, contact information and 100 word photograph description. Entries will be accepted through September 15, 2008.

New Photo Gallery at Flickr

2008-05-07T10:52:00.001-04:00

Anthropology News is happy to introduce our new Flickr page with the inaugural photo essay "The Poisoned Waters of Conceiçãozinha," by Stephanie C Kane. We welcome you to view the online gallery and comment on it here. And be sure to also read the original essay in the May AN to understand the fuller context of the photos.

May Issue: Migration and Transnationality

2008-04-28T12:29:00.003-04:00

May AN features two related In Focus commentary series on contemporary migration and immigration issues. "Migration Policy" considers what anthropology can contribute to the study of public policy affecting the movement, rights and well-being of migrants, immigrants and refugees. Authors address how international bodies, national governments and local communities manage population dynamics, including how notions of personhood are articulated in discourse regarding public domains of care and the provision of public services. In "Transnationality," contributors examine transnational spaces and subjectivities, how they are built, disputed, crossed, imagined and remembered, how people make use of them and are affected by them.

Series contributors include Ulla D Berg, Caroline B Brettell and Faith Nibbs, Heide Castañeda, Laura DeLuca, Liesl Gambold, Kate Goldade, Edmund T Hamann and Victor Zúñiga, Lily Harmon-Gross, Josiah McC Heyman, Fethi Keles, Erin Kenny, Carolina Kobelinsky, Jason Pribilsky, Rebecca Read, Madeleine Reeves and Greta Uehling.

Related articles in other sections of the May issue include David Haines's "Anthropology and Immigration in the Classroom" (Teaching Strategies) and Stephanie C Kane's "The Poisoned Waters of Conceiçãozinha" (Knowledge Exchange).

Read In Focus series articles online at the AAA website and share your comments here.

Special Issue on Children and Childhood

2008-04-01T11:35:00.004-04:00

The April 2008 AN features two In Focus commentary series on Children and Childhood. "Transforming the Anthropology of Childhood" examines new ways of thinking about childhood and children's roles and experiences that move beyond the traditional limits of our discipline, and between subdisciplines. "Confronting Challenges in Research with Children" includes comments on the methodological challenges of anthropological work with and of children, and the opportunities and creative, productive approaches such challenges enable, focusing on both practical and ethical dilemmas.

Series contributors include Myra Bluebond-Langner, John Bock, Stacey Lynn Camp, Pamela Cushing, Marisa O Ensor, Suzanne Gaskins, Jill E Korbin, David F Lancy, Robert LeVine, Joylin Namie, David M Rosen, Patricia E Smith, Emily Vargas-Barón, Thomas Weisner and Rebecca Zarger. Additional articles on the theme of Children and Childhood appear throughout the issue, including Field Notes pieces by Flordeliz T Bugarin and Aviva Sinervo, and Academic Affairs articles by Miriam Forman-Brunell, Kelly Schrum and David Lancy.

What are your thoughts? Do you do research with children? What are challenges that you have encountered? Do you have recommendations for students or young researchers, or resources you would like to share?

Read In Focus series articles online at the AAA website.

Anthropology Student Experience CFP

2008-03-13T12:17:00.002-04:00

Anthropology News is seeking contributions for an upcoming thematic issue on the anthropology student experience to be published in fall 2008. Students, educators and practitioners are encouraged to participate. Thematic In Focus commentary series will address (1) university-community partnerships and interactions and (2) the diverse character of anthropology graduate programs. We also encourage proposals related to this general theme for articles in other sections of AN, such as Field Notes or Teaching Strategies articles or news features.

For the full call for proposals see:
Current AN CFP

For instructions on how to submit a proposal see:
Submission Guidelines

March 2008: Online Engagement

2008-02-29T17:16:00.004-05:00

The March 2008 issue of Anthropology News features an In Focus thematic commentary series titled "Online Engagement." Online forums for social engagement and information exchange have emerged as dynamic sites of anthropological research in recent years. Contributors to this In Focus commentary series examine, from diverse perspectives, how different populations initiate and manage relationships through everyday and emergent information and communication technologies, sharing business, scholarly and personal information.

Full-text series articles are available on the AAA website.

Are you doing research in an area related to online engagement? What role does the Internet play in your work? Are you a member of a professional or recreational online community? We welcome your comments!

February 2008: Open Access

2008-01-22T14:28:00.000-05:00

The current issue of Anthropology News features an In Focus series on Open Access. Recognizing that this topic is of great interest to AAA members and larger anthropological communities, we invite you to offer both your reactions to the series and your general thoughts on the Open Access issue. To facilitate this discussion, full-text series articles will be available on the AAA website Feb 1–March 1, after which all five articles will be archived at AnthroSource and AN Archives.