anthropology in the news | antropologi.info

Anthropological film: How technology helps men with physical handicaps

Published on December 13, 2004 by lorenz Posted in anthropology in the news, development empowerment, technology, Visual Anthropology

One more film to be viewed on the website of Visual Anthropology in Tromsø/Norway – Independent by Espen Marius Foss:

“This story is about two young Norwegian men with physical handicaps who seek the good life in a technological world. Dagfinn runs his own computer-enterprise, but dreams about a job in a bigger company. Geir Ove has a sound assistance-system, but lacks necessary aids to write another novel.

The film addresses the new possibilities and limits for participation and creative existence within the “Information Society”. It also questions our craving for individual independency.” >> continue and watch the video (Broadband only)

One more film to be viewed on the website of Visual Anthropology in Tromsø/Norway - Independent by Espen Marius Foss:

"This story is about two young Norwegian men with physical handicaps who seek the good life in a technological world. Dagfinn…

The Vulgar Spirit of Blogging – ethnographic study of Persian-language weblogs

Published on December 11, 2004 by lorenz Posted in anthropology in the news, cyberanthropology, internet, Middle East

Alireza Doostdar, Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Harvard University, American Anthropologist

This article is an ethnographic study of Persian-language weblogs (blogs), focusing on a divisive argument among Iranian bloggers that came to be known as the “vulgarity debate.”

Sparked by a controversial blogger who ridiculed assertions that Islam was compatible with human rights, the debate revolved around the claim that biogging had a “vulgar spirit” that made it easy for everything from standards of writing to principles of logical reasoning to be undermined. >> continue (pdf) (Link updated)

(via Global Voices)

Alireza Doostdar, Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Harvard University, American Anthropologist

This article is an ethnographic study of Persian-language weblogs (blogs), focusing on a divisive argument among Iranian bloggers that came to be known as the "vulgarity debate."

Sparked by a controversial…

Ethnography, cross cultural understanding and product design

Published on December 10, 2004 by lorenz Posted in anthropology in the news, applied anthropology, corporate & business anthropology, design anthropology, technology

Ideas Bazaar reports from an interesting seminar about – among others – ethnography and product design and points to aviable conference papers online.

The Global Watch Mission Report Innovation through people-centred design – lessons from the USA emphasises that people in their social context rather than task-centric users should be considered a fundamental source of innovation. Furthermore it states that “cross-cultural understandings are becoming increasingly important for companies such as Intel who are using multi-sited worldwide research as part of the innovation process” >> download the report

>> to Ideas Bazaar’s comments

>> Anne Galloway’s comments / summary of the report

>> Louise Ferguson’s comment: “The user/human/people agenda is hitting the mainstream rather than being the preserve of a niche community.”

>> Press release University of Surrey: Innovation Through People Centred Design – Lessons For UK Business From the USA

>> Corporate Anthropology

>> Social Software: Video presentations of a conference in Oslo

Ideas Bazaar reports from an interesting seminar about - among others - ethnography and product design and points to aviable conference papers online.

The Global Watch Mission Report Innovation through people-centred design - lessons from the USA emphasises that people in…

Interview with Corporate Anthropologist: Dissecting Consumer Appetites

Published on December 10, 2004 by lorenz Posted in anthropology in the news, applied anthropology, corporate & business anthropology, design anthropology

NPR (Radio Interview)

NPR’s Eric Weiner reports on the emerging field of corporate anthropology, where researchers dissect consumer appetites and help engineers build user-friendly products. >> continue

NPR (Radio Interview)

NPR's Eric Weiner reports on the emerging field of corporate anthropology, where researchers dissect consumer appetites and help engineers build user-friendly products. >> continue

Germans critical of Santa Claus’s spread – “symbol of American commercialism”

Published on December 9, 2004 by lorenz Posted in anthropology in the news, Europe, politics, religion cosmology, Us and Them

Christian Science Monitor

To many Germans, Santa’s spread is an unwelcome reminder of the encroachment of American commercialism into Europe. “People are starting to become critical of commercialism in every respect,” says Hermann Bausinger, a cultural anthropologist at the University of Tübingen.

“Christmas has switched from being only a celebration within the family and the church to being a public event starting late in November and going on through January,” says Mr. Bausinger.

The problem, as German television celebrity Mr. Hahne sees it, is that American-style Santas are crowding out Saint Nicholas, the traditional Christmas icon of this hilly Germany village named after the 4th-century bishop. “Santa is a symbol of consumption,” Hahne says. “Nicholas was a real bishop [who] taught us what’s still very true today: giving does not make us poorer. It makes us richer.” >> continue

Christian Science Monitor

To many Germans, Santa's spread is an unwelcome reminder of the encroachment of American commercialism into Europe. "People are starting to become critical of commercialism in every respect," says Hermann Bausinger, a cultural anthropologist at the University of…