A Portal to Media Literacy

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

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

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and communication styles, expectations, wants and needs of contemporary university students are disconnected from the outdated educational environments and pedagogical practices provided for them.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

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

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

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

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