anthropology in the news | antropologi.info

New and enhanced version of “Anthropology Blog Newspaper”

Published on October 23, 2005 by lorenz Posted in anthropology (general), anthropology in the news, internal notes, internet, websites

In August, I’ve set up www.antropologi.info/blog – a kind of anthropology newspaper, an overview over anthropology blogs (and related blogs) (written in English) with their most recent posts on one page.

Now I’ve set up an alternative version that shows the most recents entries of all blogs in a chronological order. So it’s easier to see what’s new. This site even produces a RSS-feed and there are categories. Blog entries are searchable. Only the headlines are shown (in order to encourage people to visit and comment the original source), but the contents of the blog are stored and can therefore be searched.

The site is updated every four hours.

I’ve tested the site only for a few days, so it’s still somehow “beta”. I hope I haven’t forgotten any blogs. More will be added. As always, comments are welcome.

>> visit www.antropologi.info/feeds – Anthropology Blog News new version

For anthropology-only blogs see www.antropologi.info/feeds/anthropology

(I can’t get Xirdaliums feed (cyberanthropology) to get fetched. According the error message, the feed is “malformed” – Maybe I’ll get it working later)

PS: The new site is powered by a new Open Source RSS-reader called Gregarius. It is very easy to set up. Requires MySql and is updated via cron. As my webhost doesn’t provide this, I use the free webbased cron service Cronjob.de . Alternatives: Webcron.org and Cronjob4you.

In August, I've set up www.antropologi.info/blog - a kind of anthropology newspaper, an overview over anthropology blogs (and related blogs) (written in English) with their most recent posts on one page.

Now I've set up an alternative version that shows…

A new word For June – or: When is the Arctic no longer the Arctic?

Published on October 20, 2005 by lorenz Posted in anthropology in the news, Arctic / Northern Regions, ecology nature, inuit, language

Long story in the International Herald Tribune about climate change in the Arctic, sinking cities, unhappy reindeers, emaciated looking polar bears, walruses trying to climb onto white boats, mistaking them for ice floes and seasoned hunters who have been stepping in snow that should be covering ice but instead falling into water.

Traditions are changing. Here a little detail concerning Inuit language:

Take the Inuit word for June, qiqsuqqaqtuq. It refers to snow conditions, a strong crust at night. Only those traits now appear in May. Shari Gearheard, a climate researcher from Harvard, recalled the appeal of an Inuit hunter, James Qillaq, for a new word at a recent meeting in Canada.

One sentence stayed in her mind: “June isn’t really June any more.”

>> read the whole story

Fighting for the Right to be Cold: Inuit leader wins environment prize

“We have a huge responsibility to give back to the places we study from”

Published on October 20, 2005 by lorenz Posted in Africa, anthropology (general), anthropology in the news, applied anthropology, development empowerment, ethics

“We have a huge responsibility to give back to the places we study from,” anthropology professor Sharon Hutchinson says in a portrait on the website of the University of Winston-Madison. She has increasingly designed her courses to help students think through moral and practical dilemmas. For 25 years, Hutchinson has been involved in the southern Sudan as an anthropologist and human rights activist >> continue (link updated)

SEE ALSO:

Review of her book “Nuer Dilemmas: Coping with Money, War and the State” (Australian Journal of Anthropology) (link updated)

Challenges of Providing Anthropological Expertise: On the conflict in Sudan

Anthropology in a Time of Crisis. A Note from Nepal

"We have a huge responsibility to give back to the places we study from," anthropology professor Sharon Hutchinson says in a portrait on the website of the University of Winston-Madison. She has increasingly designed her courses to help students think…

How can we create a more plural anthropological community?

Published on October 20, 2005 by lorenz Posted in anthropology (general), anthropology in the news, cosmopolitanism, globalisation, Open Access Anthropology and Knowledge Sharing

Interesting article in Anthropology News October by Brasilian antropologist Gustavo Lins Ribeiro on the lacking globalisation of anthropology:

Globalisation in anthropology has mirrored unequal relations existing within larger structural processes. Theory, for instance, has flown from metropolitan centers to non-metropolitan centers while the flow of “raw data” makes the opposite movement.

The consequence is that a large part of anthropological knowledge remains unnoticed:

English has become the global language to the detriment of a more diversified linguistic and stylistic scenario. Think, for instance, of the size of anthropology in Japan or Brazil. But few read Japanese or Portuguese outside of their original language communities. Furthermore, only a small internationalized elite interacts on a global level. Nation-states remain the primary place where the reproduction of the profession is defined in particular ways.

So what can be done? How can foster the visibility of non-metropolitan works of quality and enhance our modes of exchanging information? How can we create and consolidate a more plural anthropological community?

He suggests among others:

– Translation of different anthropological materials into English. But to to avoid linguistic monotony, German anthropologists should be translated into Japanese, Mexicans into German, Australians into Portuguese, Brazilians into Russian, and so on.

– Online communication: An electronic collection of classics from different countries and a global anthropology e-journal are real possibilities.

– Increased presence of international participants at national anthropology congresses and creating connections and fostering exchange is to capitalize on already existing national and international anthropological associations. The creation in 2004 of the World Council of Anthropological Associations was an important step in this direction.

>> read the whole article

UPDATE (10.2.07)

World Anthropologies – Book and papers online: Working towards a global community of anthropologists

Gustavo Lins Ribeiro: Global Navigations

Gustavo Lins Ribeiro: The Condition of Transnationality. Exploring Implications for Culture, Power and Language

Open Source Anthropology : Are anthropologists serious about sharing knowledge?

Interesting article in Anthropology News October by Brasilian antropologist Gustavo Lins Ribeiro on the lacking globalisation of anthropology:

Globalisation in anthropology has mirrored unequal relations existing within larger structural processes. Theory, for instance, has flown from metropolitan centers to…

Anthropology News October: How Anthropologists Can Respond to Disasters

Published on October 20, 2005 by lorenz Posted in anthropology (general), anthropology in the news, applied anthropology, development empowerment

In Anthropology News October, Kerry Fosher and Stacy Lathrop criticize that many emergency preparedness plans do not account for local practice. Since 2001, there has been produced a large amount of data and knowledge on responding to emergencies. What is lacking in their opinion, is “intelligent analysis of this information communicated meaningfully to the emergency planners and responders who will need to use it”:

Anthropologists, skilled in social network analysis and ethnography, can contribute by providing the required analysis of massive information and communicating findings effectively. Many common concepts, such as “capacity building,” are centered in social relationships, the things you can’t easily photograph or quantify, but that are nonetheless essential to develop.

Every commentator on Hurricane Katrina and other disasters can say the right things about “coordination,” “collaboration” and “protecting underserved populations.” But anthropologists know the complexity and processes associated with those goals, and should ensure that the next round of solutions for emergency preparedness are grounded in the realities and practices of planners, responders and the communities they serve.

>> read the whole text

Also in Anthropology News, Patricia Plunket summarizes a seminar on natural disaster research in anthropology

SEE ALSO:

Katrina disaster has roots in 1700s / Earthquake disaster in South Asia man-made (including more links on the anthropology of disaster)