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Germans as Indians: Ethnographic images explore an unsettling cultural exchange

Published on November 12, 2004 by lorenz Posted in anthropology in the news, art, Europe, indigenous people / minorities, migration, Native American, Us and Them

Boston Globe

Photographers Andrea Robbins and Max Becher, who have work up at the Bernard Toale Gallery, are anthropologists of a sort. They document explosions of one culture within another, which occur through migration, colonialism, but also through odder means, such as appropriation.

They’ve photographed a town in Washington that sells itself as Bavarian, with chalet-style architecture, signage in a Germanic font, and lederhosen worn during parades — even though the town has no historic ties to Germany. Their work examines the strange gaps and attractions between societies with a cool, deadpan eye.

That particular interest in German culture shows up in the pair’s exhibition at Toale, ”German Indians.” Certain people in Germany enjoy dressing up in traditional Native American garb. >> continue

Boston Globe

Forget suburbia, this is ethnourbia!

Published on November 12, 2004 by lorenz Posted in anthropology in the news, culture traditions, migration

space and culture has collected links to a newer phenomenon called “ethnourbia”, a term coined in the 1990s by geographer Wei Li:

“Suburbs are bland, right? They’re boring, monotonous, devoid of life and culture: homogeneous. Nope. Suburbia is becoming increasingly diverse. More and more middle-class immigrants are skipping traditional ethnic enclaves and heading straight for the boonies, where strip malls are now filled with ethnic businesses, bubble-tea parlours dot the landscape and schools fill up with kids from any number of different backgrounds. Forget suburbia; this is ethnoburbia.”

“Unlike traditional ethnic neighbourhoods, ethnoburbs are affluent and diverse, home to a wide variety of ethnic groups and income levels. Instead of diluting the ethnic presence, the rise of the ethnoburb has actually made ethnic minorities more visible.”

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(via purse lip square jaw by Anne Galloway, another blogging anthropologist!)

space and culture has collected links to a newer phenomenon called "ethnourbia", a term coined in the 1990s by geographer Wei Li:

"Suburbs are bland, right? They’re boring, monotonous, devoid of life and culture: homogeneous. Nope. Suburbia is becoming increasingly diverse.…

Ethnographic study on bloggers in California & New York

Published on November 10, 2004 by lorenz Posted in anthropology in the news, cyberanthropology, fieldwork / methods, internet

Dina Mehta, author of the blog Conversations with Dina, points to a ethnographic study on bloggers. She quotes:

“The bloggers interviewed say their preference for blogging over a web page because it is more dynamic “the rhythm of frequent, usually brief posts, the immediacy of reverse chronological order”, more focused “ the little distraction it provides”. A blog is perceived as a “superior alternative to sending mass emails” because it is freer and less intrusive”

“Bloggers feel they have an audience expecting regular, good postings, and an obligation towards them. Participants speak about feeling burnout, and having stopped blogging for a while.”

“The act of writing, as art and craft or as a support for thinking, is also one of the motors of blogging. A last reason for blogging is being part of a community. The publishing process becomes intrinsically collective, as people interact through blogs. “Blogs are natural community tools for people whose practice is to write and comment on the writing of others: researchers, poets, journalists.”

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Dina Mehta, author of the blog Conversations with Dina, points to a ethnographic study on bloggers. She quotes:

"The bloggers interviewed say their preference for blogging over a web page because it is more dynamic “the rhythm of frequent, usually brief…

In Britian: The local pub is the heart of the community

Published on November 10, 2004 by lorenz Posted in anthropology in the news, books, culture traditions, Europe, fieldwork / methods, Us and Them

Manchester Online

MOST people believe the local pub is far more important to their community than the church, according to a survey published today. Kate Fox, social anthropologist and co-director of the Social Issues Research Centre, was asked to comment on the findings.

She said: “The survey confirms the status of the pub as a central part of British life and culture, a unique institution, vital for sustaining local communities. The bar of the pub is one of the very few public places in England where it is socially acceptable to strike up a conversation with a complete stranger,” she said.

“At the bar, the normal unwritten rules of privacy and reserve are suspended – we are granted temporary `remission’ from our conventional social inhibitions, and friendly conversation with strangers is regarded as entirely appropriate and normal behaviour.” >> continue

Manchester Online

Long battle between Argentine oil company and Ecuadorian indigenous community

Published on November 10, 2004 by lorenz Posted in anthropology in the news, development empowerment, ecology nature, indigenous people / minorities, Native American

IPS News

– Buenos Aires has unexpectedly become the new stage for a long-standing battle between an Argentine oil company and an Ecuadorian indigenous community fighting to defend its ancestral land rights in the Amazon rainforest.

Representatives of the Kichwa community of Sarayaku have come to the Argentine capital to call on President Néstor Kirchner to intervene in the conflict. ”Our people’s future is threatened. We are living in a constant state of fear,” Marlon Santi, a community leader from Sarayaku, told IPS.

The Ecuadorian government of President Lucio Gutiérrez has now militarised the area in an attempt to ensure that the project goes ahead, claiming that it will bring development and jobs to the region. >> continue

IPS News

- Buenos Aires has unexpectedly become the new stage for a long-standing battle between an Argentine oil company and an Ecuadorian indigenous community fighting to defend its ancestral land rights in the Amazon rainforest.

Representatives of the Kichwa community of…