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The Paragon of Animals or are Humans unique?

Published on May 30, 2005 by lorenz Posted in anthropology in the news, persons and theories

Jason Godesky, The Anthropik Network

The final for my very first anthropology class included an essay question, asking what made humans unique from the rest of the animal kingdom. We are unique in many ways. That uniqueness, however, does not go nearly as far as we’ve congratulated ourselves. >> continue

Jason Godesky, The Anthropik Network

Anthropology Matters – New issue out on anthropology of science and technology

Published on May 30, 2005 by lorenz Posted in anthropology in the news, applied anthropology, development empowerment, fieldwork / methods, journal articles / papers, technology

New methods in the anthropology of science and technology is the topic of the new issue of the anthropology online journal “Anthropology Matters” that was published these days. The papers developed out of a panel at the Association of Social Anthropologists (ASA) Decennial Conference at the University of Manchester in July 2003. I the introduction we read:

“On the basis of the papers published here, we suggest that not only does ethnographic research prove extremely adaptable to new environments, contexts and conditions, but it also serves to make important contributions to current debates and discussion, particular in the field of science and technology.”

We find articles on dynamics how to study and theorize environmental protest movements in West Bengal (by Amites Mukhopadhyay), the role of computers in Hungarian civil society (Tom Wormald), on the relationship of information technologies to anthropological fieldwork through a consideration of internet-based clinical trials (by Jenny Advocat), on fieldwork in a web design company (Hannah Knox) and on how anthropological fieldwork might rise to the challenge of the bureaucratized, ‘objective’ forms of evaluation that anthropological researchers are increasingly facing (Susanne Langer) >> continue to Anthropology Matters 1/2005

New methods in the anthropology of science and technology is the topic of the new issue of the anthropology online journal "Anthropology Matters" that was published these days. The papers developed out of a panel at the Association of Social…

Tsunami and Internet: Social Tools – Ripples to Waves of the Future

Published on May 29, 2005 by lorenz Posted in anthropology in the news, gift economy gift giving, internet, media, technology, Us and Them

Anthropologist Dina Mehta

Today, I believe that no crisis on this scale or magnitude will ever be handled again without sms, blogs, and wikis. That social tools will become a natural extension of rapid adaptation to chaotic conditions. While traditional media was doing its job, the World Wide Web was engaged in reaching people in ways that traditional media was not – by speaking in real voices, in real time – creating this huge wave of empathy, solidarity and action. Apart from the speed of dissemination of information, the blog also had a ‘face’ – people had access and could call or email. As a result, lowering barriers to getting information. Technology with Heart. >> continue

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The Internet Gift Culture

Anthropologist Dina Mehta

The resurrection of anthropology: ”North Africa in anthropological debates”

Published on May 29, 2005 by lorenz Posted in Africa, anthropology (general), anthropology in the news

Morocco Times

Prologues, the North African review of books, chose to dedicate its winter issue to anthropology in North Africa. Coordinated by anthropologist Hassan Rachik, this number focuses on the evolution of this discipline in both North Africa and Spain. After decades of isolation due its being associated with colonisation and ethnic divisions, anthropology is slowly making its way back into universities.

Now that North African countries no longer focus on the protection of their newly acquired Nation States – which led them to cast aside anything outside their common Arab heritage – it is up to the very descendants of the populations examined by Gellner, Geertz or Berque to make this discipline theirs. >> continue

Morocco Times

Rise of armchair anthropology? More and more scientists do online research

Published on May 29, 2005 by lorenz Posted in anthropology in the news, fieldwork / methods, internet

Some days ago, anthropologist Kerim Friedman wrote about Armchair Anthropology in the Cyber Age?: “I predict that we will slowly see the return of the “armchair anthropologists” Malinowski so famously dethroned.” The reason: “The web offers a tremendous, and ever growing database of lived experience.”

The newspaper Age (Australia) writes more about the ongoing trend to gather research data online:

“Researchers around the world are tapping into the global reach of the internet as never before, seeking answers to a wide variety of topics, including: humour at the office, drug abuse, religious beliefs, parenting styles, mother-daughter relationships, human mate selection, extramarital affairs, fascination with celebrity and sexual boredom.

Anthropologist Daniel Fessler knows how to spice up the titles for his studies to lure web surfers. Last year, he posted a study on physical attractiveness online with the alluring title Are They Hot or Not? buried among others with titles such as Development of Gender Concepts in Infancy.

Praising online surveys over face-to-face Fessler says: “We don’t need people to engage in a lot of attempts to make a good impression, we need them to provide us with honest responses.”

>> continue

(Fessler’s answer doens’t sound convincing. It’s not that easy. The rules are the same in the online- and the offline-world. Without a good relationship to your informants you can’t write a good ethnography)

Some days ago, anthropologist Kerim Friedman wrote about Armchair Anthropology in the Cyber Age?: "I predict that we will slowly see the return of the “armchair anthropologists” Malinowski so famously dethroned." The reason: "The web offers a tremendous, and ever…