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The Value of Rituals

Published on August 16, 2004 by lorenz Posted in anthropology in the news, culture traditions, politics

New York Times

You’ve probably heard that the presidential candidates have been crossing the country arguing about Iraq and taxes, but, as usual, the press has ignored the true anthropological significance of their journeys.

“Ritual is absolutely central to modern politics,” Professor David Kertzer, an anthropologist at Brown University, said. “The press wrings their hands at what they call the lack of substance at conventions, and some people think of political rallies as being outmoded or even dangerous, but rituals like these are essential for creating solidarity and allegiance to a leader.” >>continue

New York Times

You've probably heard that the presidential candidates have been crossing the country arguing about Iraq and taxes, but, as usual, the press has ignored the true anthropological significance of their journeys.

"Ritual is absolutely central to modern politics," Professor…

Ethno-Dokumentation “Elsewhere – Anderswo”: Spektakulär weil puristisch

Published on August 16, 2004 by lorenz Posted in Afrika, Ethnologie Sozialanthropologie Kulturanthropologie, Ethnologie und Film, Wir und die Anderen

taz

Nikolaus Geyrhalter reiste im Jahr 2000 jeden Monat in ein anderes ländliches Gebiet der Welt, von Namibia bis Grönland. Aus 12 Geschichten machte er den Episodenfilm “Elsewhere”. Der Ethnologe Michael Rösler, der an der Uni München ein Seminar über die Dokumentation leitete, über die undogmatische Annäherung an andere Kulturen:

“Die Art, wie diese jungen Tuareg-Frauen dort auf dem Esel sitzen, zurückschauen in Richtung Kamera und kichern, das ist so ein kleiner Hinweis, dass hier Einverständnis besteht: Okay, der filmt uns. Diese Szene vermittelt Authentizität: Die Leute wirken echt.”

taz: So stellt er sie nicht als isoliert dar, sondern lässt sie sich in der Welt verorten.

“Das ist das Spannende. Es sind alles Menschen, die wir unter die Kategorie Stammesgesellschaften, indigene Völker oder nationale Minderheiten fassen würden. Aber der Film zeigt diese Menschen nicht in ihrem vermeintlich traditionellen Lebensmilieu.” >>weiter

taz

Nikolaus Geyrhalter reiste im Jahr 2000 jeden Monat in ein anderes ländliches Gebiet der Welt, von Namibia bis Grönland. Aus 12 Geschichten machte er den Episodenfilm "Elsewhere". Der Ethnologe Michael Rösler, der an der Uni München ein Seminar über die…

Anthropologist helps Intel see the world through customers’ eyes

Published on August 15, 2004 by lorenz Posted in anthropology in the news, applied anthropology, corporate & business anthropology, design anthropology

MSNBC / San Jose Business Journal

When Genevieve Bell agreed to leave Stanford University for a job at Intel in 1998, it was with trepidation. She had, after all, been working her entire life toward being an academic, following the tenure track and accepting that practical applications of her work might never become apparent. “My vision was to survive the first year and not go insane,” she says now.

It’s not that she thought Intel was such a bad place to be. Quite the opposite. She just couldn’t see why a semiconductor company would want a technologically challenged cultural anthropologist on staff.

Now, as she writes up a final report on her three-year study of how Asian families interact with technology, Ms. Bell can’t imagine working anywhere else.

Ms. Bell has been credited with performing a remarkable job by making anthropology accessible — and worthwhile — to scores of engineers all over the world. >>continue

MSNBC / San Jose Business Journal

Olympic Games: ‘Great Fun for Savages’

Published on August 15, 2004 by lorenz Posted in anthropology (general), anthropology in the news, history, indigenous people / minorities, Us and Them

The Globe and Mail

One hundred years ago, three Ainu couples, a lone male and two young girls travelled to the United States to take part in a living exhibit arranged for the crowds at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. They lived in a large thatched hut on the fairgrounds, part of a global village in which peoples from around the world — called the primitives — were on display.

In a run-up to the third Olympiad being held in conjunction with the world fair, U.S. officials organized something called Anthropology Days. “Hairy Ainus” were pitted against “savage Zulus” and other aboriginals in sporting contests to determine strength and speed. Anthropology Days was organized by the heads of the anthropology and physical education departments of the world exposition. The idea was to test the popular notion that “the average savage was fleet of foot, strong of limb, accurate with the bow and arrow and expert in throwing the stone.” The two-day contest was held in mid-August when many scientists were attending the fair.

The crown jewel was a 47-acre site organized by the U.S. government to display the conquered peoples of the Philippines, the newest American possession acquired during the recently concluded Spanish-American War. An homage to imperialism, the exhibit was designed to show how America would bring progress to savage peoples. >>continue

The Globe and Mail

OL i Hellas: Om ville leker og antropologiske dager

Published on August 13, 2004 by lorenz Posted in antropologi allment, faghistorie, Kultur tradisjon kunnskap, sosialantropologi i Norge, Sverige og Danmark, vi og de andre

MATTIS GOKSØYR, PROFESSOR VED NIH, Dagbladet

DE OLYMPISKE LEKER begynner i Athen i dag. Felles for den moderne oppfatningen av lekene er at dette er kosmopolitiske megabegivenheter som angår og interesserer folk fra hele kloden.

Forestillingen om den «globale menneskefesten» var knapt til stede forrige gang Lekene gikk i Athen, i 1896. Da deltok det bare menn fra den hvite, vestlige del av verden. I St.Louis, USA 1904 fikk mennesker fra det som har blitt kalt den 3. verden lov til å delta, men ikke i de ordinære konkurransene. De ble plassert i et spesielt arrangement som fikk navnet «Antropologiske dager».

«Ville folkeslag» skulle testes i ulike idrettskonkurranser. Afrikanere, asiater og amerikanske indianere ble plassert på ulike startstreker. De hadde ikke meldt seg på, og de hadde ikke forberedt seg. De var i liten grad kjent med idrett slik den ble drevet i Vesten. Resultatene fra Antropologiske Dager ble vitenskapelig registrert og kommentert. Betegnelser som «latterlig dårlig forestilling» og «ikke bedre enn en skoleelev» ble oppsummert med at «den ville er ikke den natur-atleten vi har blitt lurt til å tro».

Resultatene fra 1904 kunne brukes til å fastslå at hvit, vestlig overlegenhet var en naturlig sak. – les mer

MATTIS GOKSØYR, PROFESSOR VED NIH, Dagbladet

DE OLYMPISKE LEKER begynner i Athen i dag. Felles for den moderne oppfatningen av lekene er at dette er kosmopolitiske megabegivenheter som angår og interesserer folk fra hele kloden.

Forestillingen om den «globale menneskefesten» var knapt…