anthropology in the news | antropologi.info

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…

Acoustic Environments in Change – a multi-disciplinary project

Published on October 19, 2004 by lorenz Posted in anthropology (general), anthropology in the news, ecology nature, fieldwork / methods, music

Department of Music Anthropology, University of Tampere (Finland)

The Department of Music Anthropology is an indisputable pioneer of soundscape research in Finland. “The word has been used to describe the field of sounds that surrounds us: noise, music, the sounds of nature, people and technology”, PhD Helmi Järviluoma explains.

The Department of Music Anthropology takes part in an international project where the researchers and artists study the soundscapes of six European villages and the changes in their soundscapes. >> continue or go directly to the multimedia presentation Acoustic Environments in Change!

Department of Music Anthropology, University of Tampere (Finland)

The Department of Music Anthropology is an indisputable pioneer of soundscape research in Finland. "The word has been used to describe the field of sounds that surrounds us: noise, music, the sounds of…

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…

How an Indian migrant group overcame racism in New Zealand

Published on October 19, 2004 by lorenz Posted in anthropology in the news, migration, Pacific Oceania

New Zealand News

At the end of this month Auckland City will celebrate Diwali, the Indian Festival of Lights. Public celebration of Indian religious festivals in New Zealand is a recent trend, although Indians have been in the country since 1810 when sailors jumped ship on the Southland coast.

Otago University anthropologist Dr Jacqueline Leckie has researched Indian migration to New Zealand over nearly 200 years. Leckie says such popular events help improve race relations, although racism remains a problem in New Zealand. >> continue

New Zealand News

The Future of Anthropology: “We ought to build our own mass media”

Published on October 17, 2004 by lorenz Posted in anthropology (general), anthropology in the news, media, Open Access Anthropology and Knowledge Sharing

Maximilian C. Forte, University of Adelaide, published in Anthronews(2000)

Should anthropologists continue to behave as if Anthropology’s most important market consists of anthropologists themselves and their students? I believe that, beyond a very limited degree, this behaviour can be an impediment to the fullest realization of Anthropology’s potential.

We do not have to depend on the mass media to call on our expertise and bemoan every occasion that they fail to do so. We can become our own mass media — that is the freedom and independence offered by these new technologies.

We should aim to place ourselves on the same footing as any of the better cable television broadcast networks, via the Internet. We could produce our own documentaries and news reports, an Anthropology-focused “open university,” present the expertise of noted anthropologists, and have all of our willing fieldworkers act as “correspondents.” Wide international coverage and multi-lingual programming should be relatively easy for us. Our own audiences would see and hear us both on regular computers and on WebTV >> continue

Maximilian C. Forte, University of Adelaide, published in Anthronews(2000)