Diary for 14th February to 20th February 2008

THURSDAY 14TH FEBRUARY - Music to make your heart flutter

There can be few better ways to get Valentines Day evening started than by listening to the romantic sounds of Italian classical music. Which is why today I'll be making an afternoon visit to Pocketvisions at the British Museum, for the screening of 'At the right time' - a documentary that interweaves the musical histories of four talented young Italian musicians. Anthropologists who are interested in music are normally known as 'ethnomusicologists', and are interested in the role that music and dance can play in social contexts. You can study the subject as part of your degree at SOAS and The Open University, but for today watching this film should be enough to get you thinking - it's on at 16.00 in the Stevenson Theatre and entrance is FREE.


FRIDAY 15TH FEBRUARY - Gangland academia

On Friday I want to listen again to a recent NightWaves programme broadcast on Radio 3, in which an American sociologist, Sudhir Venkatesh, was interviewed. He has just released a memoir about his extended fieldwork in which he joined a violent Chicago gang and became close acquaintances with its members. In other interviews, Venkatesh has described how he moved away from traditional 'survey' forms of research - and in fact his methods had more in common with anthropological techniques of 'participant observation' and spending extended periods in the field. Whilst I'm not sure this makes him a 'rogue sociologist', the programme and his book 'Gang Leader for a Day', should provide some great insights into the difficulties, and dangers, that you can come across in fieldwork...

SATURDAY 16TH FEBRUARY - Show me the love

Come Saturday I'll be pondering a question that might have been on many people's lips earlier this week - where have all the men gone? The reason I want to consider this most thorny of topics is that anthropologist Robin Dunbar this week described in an article how the apparent difficulties 30-something women have in finding a life partner is down to the different ways men and women value their 'market appeal' to the opposite sex. His findings were based on research into the qualities and age ranges that people looked for in their lonely hearts adverts. Make up your own mind, but bear in mind you may not have too many people to choose from - Dunbar is also famous for 'Dunbar's Number', which asserts that humans are only capable of holding relationships with 150 people at any one time. A few more fish in the sea then...


SUNDAY 17TH FEBRUARY - Captured at the British Museum

Today I'm going along to a conference called 'Adoption, Captivity & Slavery' which will look at differing cross-cultural understandings of the exchange in human beings, in early colonial America. Many of the contributing speakers at the conference are anthropologists, and they will be talking on a variety of related subjects, ranging from the Indian slave trade, to hostage exchange and missionary evangelism. You can read more about the whole programme on the website here, but be aware that some of the sessions may only be appropriate for those with prior experience of anthropology. The conference is being held in the Sackler Room at the British Museum, and costs just £5 for students to attend both days - you can register on site from 10.00.




MONDAY 18TH FEBRUARY - Anthropology and action

To start the week, I'm going to read more about an eminent anthropologist, David Maybury-Lewis, who recently passed away. He was renowned for his reflexive approach to fieldwork, namely the way in which he sought to understand his own impact on the societies he was studying, as much as the societies and people themselves. For example, in The Savage and the Innocent he described what the Shevante people of Brazil found disgusting about him and his wife as well as vice versa! He also founded an organisation that campaigned for the rights of indigenous peoples, Cultural Survival, and his work is an interesting example of how anthropologists can combine their research with practical action.




TUESDAY 19TH FEBRUARY - Walk on the wild side

On Tuesday I'm going to be at the Royal Geographical Society lecture that I mentioned on last week's blog. Given by the journalist and traveler Jay Griffiths, it's all about her experiences of living amongst indigenous communities across the world, and the book she has just released about those periods. She is particularly concerned to turn misleading representations of 'savage' indigenous people and 'civilised' westerners on their head and provide an alternative version of people's historical roles. The event begins at 19.00 - you can book online here, or over the phone on0207 730 5344. As I said last week, mention Anthropologist About Town and tickets are exclusively £10.





WEDNESDAY 20TH FEBRUARY - Books on Burma

This afternoon I'm attending a book launch down at the Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, which is accompanied by a talk from the author. The book in question - The Moon Princess - is the memoirs of Sao Sanda, the daughter of the first president of independent Burma, and she will be discussing her family's experiences of political upheavals in the country. Burma's ethnic make-up was the inspiration for one of the most well-known ethnographies from the early 20th century - Edmund Leach's 'Political Systems of Highland Burma', so you may also be interested to compare his study of the Kachin people with that of the Moon Princess. The talk begins at 14.00 and admission is FREE but you need to email the organisers beforehand at helen.mears@brighton-hove.gov.uk to confirm your place.

Diary for 7th February to 13th February 2008

THURSDAY 7TH FEBRUARY - Don't forget to remember

This afternoon I'm going along to the screening of 'A City without memory' that is being held by Pocketvisions at The British Museum. It is about the city of Messina, in Sicily, which was largely destroyed in 1908 by a massive earthquake. As a result, it is often said that the city has no memory. Anthropologists have frequently explored how and why memory (and forgetting) are important in the creation of cultural beliefs and practices - for example you can study it as part of your anthropology degree at Sussex University. (You may also be intersted in a blog about cultural memory that you can find online here.) The film should be a fascinating real-life example of the social importance of memory - it begins at 16.00 in the Stevenson Theatre, entrance is FREE, and it is followed by a Q&A with Dr Eleanor Chiari, who teaches on the MA in Cultural Memory at The Institute for Germanic and Romance Studies.


FRIDAY 8TH FEBRUARY - Skyscraper anthropology

The other week I spotted an article in The Financial Times that attempted an anthropological analysis of the big investment banks, and what sort of 'culture' existed within their buildings. Written by an ex-anthropology student, it talked about how some organisations included different tribe-like factions, whilst others had a much more cohesive make-up. Today, I thought I would investigate a little further how anthropology and business mix - nowadays many companies employ anthropologists to help their business - see this article for more information, or listen to this archived Radio 4 'Shop Talk' programme. It may well be a career path that you're not aware of so makes for interesting listening...whether it is what anthropologists should be doing is at the heart of the debate....


SATURDAY 9TH FEBRUARY - Indian music comes to town

On Saturday I'm off down to the Horniman Museum in South London to check out their new exhibition 'Utsavam: music from India' which includes sounds, film, instruments and objects from the four main language groups of the country. There are also a series of events running alongside the collection for the next 2 months ranging from traditional kathakali dance performances, to Gatka sword dancing! You can also watch a filmic introduction to the exhibition here. Utsavam runs until the end of March and entrance is FREE.





SUNDAY 10TH FEBRUARY - Selling like hot (rock) cakes

Today I am going to make sure I book a sought-after ticket for an talk being given next week by the writer Jay Griffiths. She will be discussing her latest book 'Wild: An elemental journey' which describes the periods of her life she has spent living amongst indigenous peoples - and how their relationship with nature affects their cultures and identity. She also argues that an awareness of the 'wild' is essential to our well-being as human beings, and the talk itself is partly to raise awareness of the fight to keep industrial developers away from the indigenous Dampier rock art site in Australia. The event is being held at the Royal Geographical Society on the 19th February and begins at 19.00 - you can book online here, or over the phone on 0207 730 5344. What is more, tickets are exclusively £10 to readers of Anthropologist About Town - so mention this when you book, and you're pretty much a VIP...




MONDAY 11TH FEBRUARY - Shopping for film

On Monday I'm heading down to the Riverside Studios, on the shores of the Thames, to catch the drama-documentary 'Tina goes Shopping'. It tells the story of a Leeds lady who shoplifts to order for the residents of her housing estate, and is part of a series of films that tread the boundary between fiction and documentary, many of which are studied on visual anthropology courses. The director, Penny Woolcock, has often said she is inspired in her work by anthropology, as you can read in the Forman lecture she gave in 2004 to the Granada Centre for Visual Anthropology in Manchester. The film starts at 19.00 and admission costs £6.50 for students.


TUESDAY 12TH FEBRUARY - Stories from Iraq

This afternoon, I'm going along to a seminar being held by the Centre for Life History Research at the University of Sussex that is looking at the life stories of some of Iraq's women and their sense of identity and memory. It is being held in collaboration with the everyday anthropology organisation Massobs, and will be led by Dr Nadje Al-Ali, from the Centre for Gender Studies at SOAS. She has recently published a book, 'Iraqi Women: Untold Stories', and bases a lot of her research in social athropology. The seminar lasts from 12.30 until 1.55pm, in the Pevensey Building 1 2A2; for more information, you can email the Life History Centre staff on s.j.carroll@sussex.ac.uk or m.jolly@sussex.ac.uk.




WEDNESDAY 13TH FEBRUARY - Exploring Tibet

On Wednesday I'm going to the Pitt-Rivers Museum in Oxford to listen to a lecture about the 'material, visual and virtual world of Tibet', entitled The Tibet Album. It's being given by Clare Harris, who specialises in the visual culture of the area, and has launched the 'Tibet Album' project, which provides an online record of how the Tibetan people have been photographed over the years, and also how they have been recorded by British visitors in particular. The lecture is being held in the new extension to the building and begins at 18.15 - there are drinks available from 17.45 and entrance is a voluntary donation of £2.

Diary for 31st January to 6th February 2008

THURSDAY 31ST JANUARY - Collecting your thoughts

To kick off the week, I'm attending a conference being held at the British Museum all about 'Extreme Collecting' - and the ethical, social and political decisions that people working in museums have to make. For example, should museums continue to collect objects from other cultures or countries? There are a series of workshops over the course of the day - under the heading 'Ethnography of the Ordinary', including one by Robert Opie which explores whether everyday packaging is 'trash or treasure'. Details of all the workshop are available on the website, and admission to the sessions is FREE, though it is limited - you need to contact extremecollecting@yahoo.co.uk to confirm attendance.


FRIDAY 1ST FEBRUARY - Give me a clue

Ever wondered exactly what ethnic endogamy is, or what exactly it is that a nomad gets up to? Perhaps not, but for all those nagging anthropological questions a good place to do some initial research could be the online Dictionary of Anthropology. It has biographies of anthropologists themselves, the topics they study and also breaks down some of the theoretical terms you might come across. At the moment, it's a growing resource, but does provide links to further articles on the subjects it covers, so is definitely worth a look around, which is exactly what I'm going to do today.



SATURDAY 2ND FEBRUARY - Passing on...

Today I'm going to read an obituary that was published last week on the Guardian website of David Pocock, one of the more influential anthropologists from the last century. His teaching over the years was as important as his writing, and he was particularly important in the resurgence of the Massobs archive which is occasionally mentioned on the blog. Also, for newcomers to the subject, Pocock published the introductory text 'Understanding Social Anthropology', as well as many other books. He once made a statement that really sums up anthropology and what its practitioners believe in: 'Social anthropology is concerned with the whole of life, and not just something you do until six o'clock. The study of social anthropology encourages you to have a new kind of consciousness of life; it is a way of looking at the world, and in that sense it is a way of living.' Inspirational stuff.


SUNDAY 3RD FEBRUARY - Uncovering the Veil

On Sunday I'm going to listen again to last week's Thinking Allowed programme which, amongst other topics, featured a discussion with a social scientist about the wearing of the veil in French schools, which was outlawed a couple of years ago. This subject ties in to many of anthropology's concerns, since it is an issue that cuts across many social issues, from nationalism to religion to identity.
For another point of view, it's also interesting to listen to this archived BBC examination of the cultural practice of men wearing the veil, which included contributions from anthropologists; or alternatively invest in this book written about the social role of the veil. A word of warning, in order to hear the feature on the veil, you first have to listen to a piece about a group of Americans convinced the apocalypse is imminent, and what is more, that it's nothing to worry about...



MONDAY 4TH FEBRUARY - International affairs

As I am sure you will have noticed, there is considerable unrest in Kenya at the moment following the elections held at the end of 2007. Today I want to research some anthropological perspectives on the subject, in order to gain a fuller understanding of what might be going on... In particular, I'm going to watch a short report by an anthropologist, Angelique Haugerud, who argues that the western media have concentrated too much on 'ancient' tribal conflicts as an explanation for a situation that actually has a much wider set of causes, such as economic inequality and widespread corruption. She has also written a long article on the issue, and her point of view has been echoed by several other writers, for example in The Guardian. It is a good example of how anthropology can help us understand 'news' situations in a more in-depth manner and on a broader platform, but most importantly for now - in Kenya.

TUESDAY 5TH FEBRUARY - Wartime on film

On Tuesday I'm going to hot-step it down to Riverside Studios to catch a showing of the Humphrey Jennings' classic film Fires were Started. The 'documentary', made in 1943, used non-professional actors and real-life footage to portray a day-in-the-life of the Blitz. It is widely studied on Visual Anthropology courses as an example of the use of film as propaganda, but is just as much worth watching for the impressive visuals. Admission to the film, which begins at 19.00, costs £6.50 for students, and you can view another of Jennings' wartime films online here.


WEDNESDAY 6TH FEBRUARY - Working into the night

Today I'm going to get myself booked in for an Open Evening at Birckbeck College in London, when I'm hoping to learn more about the short courses they run in social anthropology. Their Certificate in Higher Education emphasises the cross-cultural perspective you can gain from studying anthropology, and students can pick from a variety of 8 different modules, studying subjects such from religion, to health, and tourism. The courses start at different points during the year, and credits can count towards a BSc in Social Sciences. The evening session is running tomorrow, 7th February, from 16.00 until 19.30 at the Royal National Hotel in Central London - you can book online here.

Diary for 24th January to 30th January 2008

THURSDAY 24TH JANUARY - Buenos Días at the British Museum

Today I'm making my first Pocketvisions appearance of 2008, to watch 'Maybe Buenos Aires' in the Stevenson Theatre at The British Museum. It follows the journey of one Argentinian, Luis Caro, who has twice experienced exile from his homeland - once because of political unrest, and once through choice. Using Caro's life story as a background, the director traces many of the events that have occurred in and around Buenos Aires over he last 25 years, in an attempt to understand the balance of power between the people and the leaders. The showing begins at 16.00, is followed by a Q&A with the director as well as Professor Fred Halliday from the London School of Economics, and entrance is FREE.


FRIDAY 25TH JANUARY - Knock, knock - who's there?

On Friday I'm unicycling down to the Southbank Centre for a new exhibition called 'The Culture of Laughing' that opens today and runs until mid-April. Using a hilarious combination of video, photography and interactive exhibitions, the collection investigates whether humour is transferable across cultures. With 30 artists from all over the world contributing, the curator argues that whilst laughter is universal, humour is socially specific -and wants visitors to see if they can find amusement on foreign jokes without specific social knowledge. Look out for a German clown in the Brazilian rainforest, and some slapstick belly dancing...
Entrance to the exhibition is only £4 for students (£7 full price) for the first few weeks so get down there soon.

SATURDAY 26TH JANUARY - A fascinating collection

On Saturday I'm going to have a look at the assortment of short anthropological documentaries from last year's students on the MA in Visual Anthropology at Goldsmiths, which has just been put online. Highlights include an intimate study of people with obsessive compulsive disorder related to collecting objects - Possessed - and a look at the social community of London's Chinatown - We Keep Quiet. All the films are around twenty minutes or under, so it's a good chance to see a wide range of films without having to spend too much time doing so.

SUNDAY 27TH JANUARY - Rising to the top

On Sunday I'm going to research a film made by a visual anthropologist that has just been selected to go to the prestigious Sundance Film Festival. Yasmin Fedda studied social anthropology at Edinburgh University, then took an MA in Visual Anthropology at Manchester University, where she made a film about a monastery in the Syrian desert. Her latest film, Breadmakers (click the link to watch it online), is about a bakery in Edinburgh staffed entirely by people with learning disabilities. It is particularly interesting to read her comments about how she approached the filming - using mainly observational techniques - aiming to ensure that it portrayed the characters in the most responsible way possible. You can read more about the filmmaker here, and she also has a blog about the film and where it is screening here.

MONDAY 28TH JANUARY - Recording our existence

On Monday I want to book myself in for a seminar occurring tomorrow (Tuesday) that is being held at the University of Sussex between 12.30 and 13.55. It is part of a series of lecture organised by the 'everyday anthropology' organisation Massobs, and this session focuses on a 'life history' project being undertaken in the town of Newhaven. It is designed to establish whether the recording of an area's history can be beneficial to the regeneration of a town. The seminar is in the Pevensey Building 1 2A2 on the ground floor, and it is advisable to contact S.J.Carroll@sussex.ac.uk or M.Jolly@sussex.ac.uk if you wish to attend




TUESDAY 29TH JANUARY - Doctors & shamans

Tonight I'm going to watch the second episode of the a new series on Channel 4 called Medicine Men Go Wild. It follows two identical twin British doctors in their investigations of indigenous medicine in various different communities around the world. Despite the slightly silly title, the programme retains a good balance between respect for other cultural forms of medicine, and what they can contribute to western understanding. Tonight's episode is about how people use the mind to endure extreme pain, concentrating largely on the body piercings that devotees undergo at the Hindu festival of Thaipusam in Kuala Lumpur. The programme starts at 21.00 on C4, and if you miss it you should be able to download it soon on 4 on Demand.






WEDNESDAY 30TH JANUARY - Improving your dress sense

On Wednesday I'm going to don my glad rags and check out a new exhibition about 'Cloth and Culture' that has just opened at the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts at the University of East Anglia. It draws on the work of artists from six different countries who look at the role of textiles in peoples' personal lives and also in wider society. Clothing has been studied over the years by several anthropologists, who have looked at everything from its varying status for transvestites, to the importance of wastebeads in defining the identity of Ghanaian women -in fact there is an interesting collection of essays on the subject called 'Dress Sense'. The exhibition runs until June this year, and the centre is open late on Wednesdays until 20.00 - if you miss it then there is also a book about the collection, which you can lean more about here.

Diary for 17th January to 23rd January 2008

THURSDAY 17TH JANUARY - Does the shoe fit?

Tonight I'm going to watch an unusual appearance by anthropology in a BBC drama adaptation of the well-known fairytale Cindarella. The hour long programme is broadcast at 21.00, and tells the story of a university cleaner named Cindy desperate to study anthropology so that she can accompany a famous professor, named (you've guessed it) 'Prince' on his fieldwork expedition to Borneo. Competing for the place with two other, presumably ugly and sisterly, students, Cindy hopes to win Professor Prince's affections despite her lowly position. You can view clips of the film online, and also read interviews with the main actors here. Let's hope, for the sake of aspiring anthropology students everywhere, it all ends happily ever after.

After watching, you may also be interested to read a bit more about the anthropology of fairytales, and how their role in society has been understood. Chris Knight, from the University of East London, is an expert on the subject - and you can read some of his thoughts here.


FRIDAY 18TH JANUARY - Planning ahead

On Friday I'm off to a talk at SOAS in London entitled 'What's the use of anthropology to international development'. The development sector is perhaps one of the most popular and relevant areas for anthropology graduates to work in after they finish their studies, but as this talk explores, there are often tensions between the hands-on approach anthropologists try to take, and the realities of implementing government policy. The lecture is being given by Professor David Mosse as part of the fascinating Inaugural Lecture Series, and it begins at 17.30 in the Brunei Gallery - entrance is FREE and is followed by a reception, but you are advised to contact the organisers beforehand on 0207 898 4075 or mo2@soas.ac.uk. If you find the talk interesting, then you may also like to attend the public lecture series on the anthropology of development that is running all term...


SATURDAY 19TH JANUARY - Green fingers on the radio

Today I’ll be listening again to an episode of anthropologists’ favourite ‘Thinking Allowed’ that was broadcast on Channel 4 before Christmas. It featured two anthropologists, Roy Ellen and Simon Platten, who are about to embark on a three year study on the ‘ethnobotany of the British garden’. The importance of a finely pruned hedge to the inner workings of British society has, according to them, been long overlooked. It has even been argued, apparently, that the national obsession with gardening is a reason for the calmness of the British temperament! Like all good 'reflexive' anthropology, this programme should begin to make us question an area of our lives that is usually ignored as simply 'normal'...


SUNDAY 20TH JANUARY - Living hour by hour

Today I wanted to read an article I spotted in the newspaper last week about British artist, Anthony Gormley, and his latest idea. He is trying to convince the powers-that-be that the next exhibition on the fourth plinth n Trafalgar Square should be an anthropological one. He thinks that for the entire year of 2009, a different person should occupy the plinth every single hour, adding up to 8760 people. He wants to create a living representation of Britain today, with people form every single walk of life appearing to dance, shout, scream, hop, speak....or whatever they choose to do. Sounds like something Lucy would certainly vote for! You can see all of the submissions for the project, including Gormley's , on the National Gallery website here.


MONDAY 21ST JANUARY - The catwalk of anthropology

Come Monday I will be looking for new ways to strut my anthropological stuff in the new collection from fashion designer Chayalan. A little random, but the Cypriot fashionista claims inspiration from 'current anthropology', as well as a host of other disciplines including migration and the philosophy of science. He wants his clothes to be seen as a part of culture, and not just an elite artistic world. Which is presumably why he has added signature drop pockets to his jeans... To read more about anthropology and fashion, why not check out this article.


TUESDAY 22ND JANUARY - Photographing history in Nagaland

Today I'm heading back down to the Brunei Gallery at SOAS in London for a look round the new exhibition on show there, 'An Image of Nagaland'. It includes photos taken at the Hornbill Festival from 2000, celebrated by the various tribes of Nagaland, in which a totemic dance is performed in recognition of their common cultural ancestry and identity. The 2000 festival was the first one held by the Naga for some time because of ongoing conflict on their area of Northern India, so the photographs are anthropological documents of a new period of opitimism, as well as of a long-standing tradition. The exhibition is open until 22nd March from Tuesday until Saturday, and entrance is FREE.




WEDNESDAY 23RD JANUARY - Talking about religion

On Wednesday I'm going along to a talk at the Institute of Jewish Studies at University College London, as part of their 'Anthropology and the Bible' seminar series. It's the first of a series of talks throughout the spring, and this week Bruce Kapferer will be discussing 'Mary Douglas and Henry Frankfort: Re-orientations, the present and the past'. Mary Douglas, who died last year, was one of the last century's most famous anthropologists, and one of her specialisations was in comparative religion. Henri Frankfort was a Dutch academic, specialising in Egyptian history and religion - so this talk should present a broad analysis of some common themes in our understandings of early religion. The talk is in Room 218, Foster Court, on Gower Street, and lasts from 16.00 until 18.00 - get in touch with the Insititue of Jewish Studies on 020 7679 3520 for more information - admission is FREE and ticketless.

Diary for 10th January to 16th January 2008

THURSDAY 10TH JANUARY - Reading about films

Today I'm going to purchase a new book which offers an introduction to documentary film. Cunningly entitled 'Documentary Film: A Very Short Introduction', the text provides a concise history of how the documentary medium has changed over the years, including a section on its use in anthropology. It discusses several films studied by anthropology students, perhaps most famously Nanook of the North (you can view an extract online here) and also looks at the different forms in which documentary has been created from artistically, to as propaganda and advocacy. Such issues of representation - whether in film or in text - are a vitally important part of anthropological theory, so for those looking for an introduction to the subject this looks ideal - the book is priced at £6.99, available from the Oxford University Press.


FRIDAY 11TH JANUARY - The Pet Ship Boys?

Tonight I'm going along to the Barbican in East London for a special screening of Battleship Potemkin, the famous Russian propaganda film from 1925. The film is studied on many visual anthropology courses as an example of the use of film for political ends in society. Tonight it will be accompanied by a live soundtrack courtesy of the Pet Shop Boys - you can listen to some clips on the Barbican website - so it's also an interesting example of how political texts can change meaning and become part of art and popular culture. If you can't make it to the Barbican (the show starts at 21.00 and tickets are priced at £20 upwards) then you can also watch the film online here, though without the Pet Shop Boys!




SATURDAY 12TH JANUARY - Films from the web

Today I'll be browsing the 4DOCS website to have a look at the new films that were entered into a recent competition they held, around the theme of 'Outside Story'. Unsurprisingly, given that anthropologists often spend their time looking at the 'outside story', there were a few entries that classified themselves as ethnographic films, including this one containing the reflections of a Kiowa Indian on his ethnic identity: 'Where the Buffalo Roam'. To view more entries, you can sort the film catalogue by theme, and choose 'ethnography'. Happy viewing!


SUNDAY 13TH JANUARY - From Russia with love

Today I'm heading down to the Russian Winter Festival in Trafalgar Square, to sample some of the finest music, performance, food and drink the country has to offer. Highlights of the day, which runs from 12.00 until 19.30, include military marching bands, traditional folk music and Russian - 'blinis' and 'pirozhkis' - pies and pancakes respectively... The event in Trafalgar Square is just one of several events celebrating the culture of Russia - for example there's also a dance show on in Hammersmith on Saturday night. To find out more and view the complete listings, have a look at the official website here.

MONDAY 14TH JANUARY - New anthropology websites!

Come Monday I want to have a look at the recently relaunched 'Visual Anthropology Net' website, which has just been revamped to make it more user-friendly. The site includes reviews of films and books on all things visual and anthropological, as well as news of interesting screenings, festivals and publications. It is also linked to an organisation called Ethnodoc, which has just begun to put ethnographic films on its website for members to watch - subscription is FREE!




TUESDAY 15TH JANUARY - Ethiopian Encounters

On Tuesday I'm off to have a look at a new exhibition at The Fitzwiliam Musuem in Cambridge, called Ethiopian Encounters. It includes a series of watercolour paintings made by the British explorer William Cornwallis Harris of the various people he encountered on a mission to Ethiopia in the 1840s. It should be interesting not only because they are some of the earliest pictures of this social group in existence, but also to look at the way people were represented in imagery back then, as compared to now. The exhibition is open from Tuesday until Sunday until 17.00 and entrance is FREE. Look out also for a series of related talks, workshops and events.




WEDNESDAY 16TH JANUARY - What is change?

This afternoon I'm going to a talk in the Institute for Social Change at Manchester University, which is part of the Social Sciences Faculty and linked to Harvard in the USA. Professor Mary Waters from Harvard will be giving a talk about social change and the challenges faced by all levels of society in being part of, and managing 'change'. Social change is a topic that has been debated by anthropologists for many years, because it is often leads to overly neat theories about the structure of societies completely unraveling!
The Institute for Social Change is mainly concerned with how Governments can deal with change, rather than from a bottom-up point of view, but nonetheless the talk should definitely be worth hearing. It takes place in Room G.030 in the Arthur Lewis building at 16.00 - and it's probably worth phoning ahead to check there will be space.