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Instant Messaging – Studying A New Form of Communication

Published on February 13, 2005 by lorenz Posted in anthropology (general), anthropology in the news, language, media, technology

Susan D Blum, U Notre Dame, Anthropology News, American Anthropological Association

Teaching an upper-division undergraduate class on linguistic anthropology, “Doing Things with Words,” at the University of Notre Dame, nothing got my students so excited—not gossip, not gender, maybe accent—as the topic of Instant Messaging

As a team, my eight students (Theresa Davey, Anastasia Envall, Mark Gernerd, Tiffanné Mahomes, Maria Monroe, Jenna Nowak, Matthew Patricoski and Jacob Weiler) and I investigated every aspect of Instant Messaging that we could to assess how it was affecting—if it was affecting—students’ daily experiences. The fact that IMing involves writing but is conceptualized as talk makes it especially germane for linguistic anthropological analysis. >> continue (link updated)

SEE ALSO THEIR PAPER: Instant Messaging: Functions of a New Communicative Tool (pdf) (Link updated)

Susan D Blum, U Notre Dame, Anthropology News, American Anthropological Association

“Pop culture is a powerful tool to promote national integration”

Published on January 24, 2005 by lorenz Posted in anthropology in the news, media, music, Us and Them, youth

RedNova News

WHEN reality television show Malaysian Idol came under attack last year, Dr Wan Zawawi Ibrahim, a professor of social anthropology, was one of the few academics who came to its defence. He is optimistic of pop culture’s positive effect on national integration and the creation of new identities among the young.

“Malaysian Idol is an example of pop culture which has created social spaces for youngsters of different ethnic groups to come together,” says the 57-year old researcher. The notion of pop culture as a social binding tool is not new. It has proliferated in local films, music or theatre years before the Idol series was even conceptualised.

Wan Zawawi also wants more social spaces for youths to come together. “Malaysian Idol, the National Service programme, cybercafes and even designer coffee outlets like Starbucks and Coffee Bean are social spaces for youths of various ethnicities to interact with each other,” he adds. >> les mer

RedNova News

Biased media: Are African Students Respected?

Published on November 5, 2004 by lorenz Posted in Africa, anthropology in the news, Europe, media, Us and Them

PRICILLA DE WET, Utropia, University of Tromsø, Norway

While watching TV within a circle of Norwegian friends and a Sudanese friend, a documentary about the living conditions in Sudan started. I couldn’t bear the look of disappointment on my Sudanese friend’s face. None of the world’s giant media companies ever dare to show such negative realities about their own countries, namely America and Europe.

The biased broadcasting of Africa by international media companies is of great concern to many Africans living in European countries. This kind of pessimism retards the progress of reaching our ethical goal as a world community for making the world a better place as it promotes disrespect for Africa’s peoples. >> continue

PRICILLA DE WET, Utropia, University of Tromsø, Norway

Malaysian Idol – “a space for young people of different ethnicity to interact”

Published on October 19, 2004 by lorenz Posted in anthropology in the news, media, Us and Them

malaysianidol.blogdrive.com / New Sunday Times

Critics dismiss Malaysian Idol as ’empty entertainment’ but educators endorse the programme for its unifying factor. Among others, critics had called it a morally decadent programme that might influence local youth to go against Asian values.

Social anthropologist Professor Wan Zawawi Ibrahim from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Institute of the Malay World and Civilisation loves the show for its multicultural content. “Malaysian Idol is a space for young people of different ethnicity, faiths and cultures to interact,” he says.

Wan Zawawi, whose main areas of research include pop culture and multiculturalism, admires the bond shared by the participants. It has been noted frequently that Malaysian undergraduates are not comfortable mixing with those of different ethnic backgrounds. >> continue

malaysianidol.blogdrive.com / New Sunday Times

Critics dismiss Malaysian Idol as 'empty entertainment' but educators endorse the programme for its unifying factor. Among others, critics had called it a morally decadent programme that might influence local youth to go against Asian values.

Social…

Academics analyze Godzilla

Published on October 19, 2004 by lorenz Posted in anthropology in the news, globalisation, media

ap / Corvallis Gazette

He’s attacked other monsters and terrorized Japan for decades. Now Godzilla is confronting academics who want to wrestle with his legacy.

The University of Kansas plans to pay homage to the giant lizard later this month, organizing a three-day scholarly conference for the 50th anniversary of his first film. It’s not just about celebrating campy creature features. Planners want to provoke discussion of globalization, Japanese pop culture and Japanese-American relations after World War II. Historians, anthropologists and other academics are coming from universities such as Duke, Harvard and Vanderbilt >> continue

ap / Corvallis Gazette

He's attacked other monsters and terrorized Japan for decades. Now Godzilla is confronting academics who want to wrestle with his legacy.

The University of Kansas plans to pay homage to the giant lizard later this month, organizing a…