Diary for 15th May to 21st May 2008

THURSDAY MAY 15TH - Saving the Forest

This evening I'm going to a film screening at the Royal Geographical Society, where a new film called 'People of the Forest' is showing. It looks at the campaigns by a forest-reliant Indonesian community to salvage their land from the attentions of illegal logging companies. The film is directed by Gavin Searle, who was responsible for much of the recent television series Tribe which looked at indigenous communities around the world, and was made with the advice (and criticism!) of anthropologists. Gavin also studied visual anthropology at the Granada Centre in Manchester. This film was made in collaboration with the activist organisation 'Environmental Investigation Agency', who will also be on hand to answer any questions about the subject. It begins at 18.00 in the RGS and admission is FREE, though you should contact the organisers beforehand on ukinfo@eia-international.org or by ringing 0207 354 7960.






FRIDAY MAY 16TH - Persian photography

On Friday I'm heading back to my spiritual home - the Pitt-Rivers Museum in Oxford - for a dose of their latest exhibition of photographic prints from Persia taken at the end of the 1800's. Taken by Antoin Sevruguin, they offer a rarely-seen insight into life in and around Tehran at that time. As you can read in this book about the man, he aimed to produce a photographic inventory of the people of the region. This is, therefore, an invaluable resource to academics - although anthropologists might questions the extent to which it is possible to represent a people merely through a visual catalogue! If you stick around in Oxford, you might also fancy going to their latest night of 'light and sound'. On Saturday evening you can explore the museum's anthropological collections by torch light for FREE.


SATURDAY MAY 17TH - Shedding light on Africa

This weekend I'm heading to the October Gallery in Central London for the Angaza Africa exhibition, showcasing the work of 12 African artists as representative of contemporary African art. This afternoon at 15.00 there's also a talk by the editor of a book about the collection, Chris Spring (also curator of the Africa Galleries at The British Museum), who will be discussing the work with some of the artists. And following Chris at 16.30 will be a screening of 'This is My Africa' - a film that gives voice to a selection of people who have lived, worked or traveled in Africa. You can book ahead for both events by contacting rosalind@octobergallery.co.uk or telephoning 0207 242 7367. The exhibition as a whole is open Tuesday to Saturday until 17.30 and runs until the end of June - admission is FREE.



SUNDAY MAY 18TH - Documentary encore

This afternoon I'm off to the second installment of what promises to be a great series of documentary film highlights from the recent London International Documentary Festival, which has a strong anthropological leaning. The first film showing today is Fighting the Silence, about the horrific episodes of rape that occurred during the Congolese civil war. It is followed in Session 2 by three shorter films, including 'Possessed' made by director Martin Hampton as part of his MA in Visual Anthropology at Goldsmiths College. The whole event lasts from 15.00 until 18.30, at the Roxy Bar & Screen near London Bridge, and tickets cost £3 for which you can stay as long as you like. If you are unable to make it, you can still view films from other students on the MA, on the Goldsmiths webpage here.


MONDAY MAY 19TH - Dreaming of art

Storytelling is an integral part of almost every society on earth, so the new exhibition at Art-Space Gallery in Mayfair should be a fascinating one. It is a collection of paintings by some of Australia's foremost indigenous artists, and is being put on in association with the Muk Muk Aboriginal Art organisation from down under. The paintings celebrate the Aborigine craft of storytelling, which has been studied by many an anthropologist - you might want to read this article for a brief introduction to the subject. The exhibition runs until the 25th May between 11.00 and 18.00, with some of the artists being available to answer questions if you're lucky enough to be there at the right time.


TUESDAY MAY 20TH - Getting up to nothing

I don't feel much like going out today - it's all become a bit too much. Which is ideal in a way, because I can listen again to an episode of Thinking Allowed from last week which investigated the large number of Japanese teenagers who withdraw completely from social life and spend months on their own in their room. Called hikikomori (meaning 'being confined'), they have bemused many researchers over the years, who have attributed their reclusive behaviour to anything from hopelessness brought on by economic downturn to overbearing academic pressure. An anthropologist, James Robertson, has written a book that, in part, examines the phenomenon, and there are also a number of interesting articles on the web. No need to go out at all then.


WEDNESDAY MAY 21ST - In from the cold

The Arctic is frequently in the news these days because of its importance in the debate over climate change, but it has long been a location for academic interest - and the exhibition I'm off to this morning seems especially relevant to today's concerns. Held in the Museum of Archaeology and Anthroplogy in Cambridge, 'Arctic Passages' follows the 1934 Wordie Arctic Expedition with a collection of visual artefacts from a Cambridge professor's trips to the region, which included extensive research the Inuit people's society and culture. There are films and photographs, as well as some of the clothing worn by the expedition participants. It is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10.30 until 16.30 and entrance is FREE.

Diary for 8th May to 14th May 2008

THURSDAY 8TH MAY - Addressing dress

This evening I'm going along to the annual Malinowski lecture at the London School of Economics, which this year is being given by Emma Tarlo, an anthropologist from Goldsmiths College, London. Dr Tarlo's research has focussed on issues of dress and the role of clothing in society, including long periods spent in India - see her book Clothing Matters for more information. Currently, however, she is doing important work on Muslim dress in Europe - or what she calls "an anthropology of appearances". Her work questions stereotypical viewpoints that claim religious dress is a threat towards social unity and progress with a more considered, and community-based, understanding. The talk begins at 18.00 in the Hong Kong lecture theatre - entrance is FREE and open to all.


FRIDAY 9TH MAY - Champagne supernovas

Dubbed 'The Professor of Indie Rock', Wendy Fonarow is an American anthropologist who has just published a book all about the UK indie music scene, and the rituals she has observed during many nights of gig-going. Sounds like hard work! Her book, entitled 'Empire of Dirt: The Aesthetics and Rituals of British Rock Music' makes many fascinating claims, from comparing Glastonbury mud baths to Papua New Guinean ritualised suffering, to the sexualised way in which screaming fans are represented. On the book's website you can listen to interviews with Wendy, as well as some slightly random Norweigian footage on the subject, and there's also a myspace page for up-to-the-minute information. Crowd surfing will never be the same again.




SATURDAY 10TH MAY - Longinotto on screen

There's a relatively rare chance to see one of famous director Kim Longinotto's documentaries today, as 'Hold me tight, let me go' is screening at the National Film Theatre - it's part of a weekend of film highlights from the London Film Festival last year. Longinotto's style of film-making uses a high degree of observation, and she's also very concerned what her contributors think about how they've been portrayed, as you can read in this interview. You can also watch some of her other films such as 'Divorce Iranian Style' here. 'Hold me tight...' is showing in the NFT2 at 18.20 - tickets will set you back £8.60.



SUNDAY 11TH MAY - You are never alone...

Anthropologists generally study groups of people, since more than one person is normally considered necessary to create a social happening. But you'd be wrong in thinking that the lives of individuals are not important, especially when they have remained outside mainstream society for some time. So when I was listening to a Radio 4 programme last week abut a daleswoman from the North Pennines, I started thinking about the issue of solitude and loneliness. The programme featured a woman who had lived in rural poverty for much of her life until a TV crew arrived to make a film about her in the 1970s - a kind of 'first contact' that dramatically changed her life. The effects of such encounters are ones anthropologists must always bear in mind when setting out on fieldwork, however remote or not the situation, so it's well worth a listen. You might also want to check out an introductory book that addresses similar issues such as 'What does it mean to be alone?' - in each chapter of Questions of Anthropology a difficult but important issue is tackled.


MONDAY 12TH MAY - Spartacus plays Jabba the Hutt

Spartacus Chetwynd must be one of the most unusually-named people with an anthropological background, so it's no surprise to learn that she is gaining a bit of a reputation in the art world. As you can read from this recent newspaper article, her work borrows substantially from anthropology in its attempts to subvert cultural 'cliches', albeit in a slightly offbeat way! For example, one performance she put on aimed to move away from the 'orientalist' representation of Jabba the Hutt from Star Wars, and instead present him as a smooth ladies' man...You can currently see some of her work at the Martian Museum of Terrestrial Art at the Barbican - an alien's eye view of worldly life. The exhibition runs until May 18th and entrance costs £6 for students, £8 full price. For more information on her wider work as an artist you can view her entry at the Saatchi Gallery.


TUESDAY 13TH MAY - Going on a summer holiday?

In theory, an outsider might think anthropology and tourism have lots in common. Thankfully, in most cases, the practice is somewhat different, but the two endeavours still have several things that link them - not least their interaction with issues of globalisation. Which explains why tonight I'll be heading along to a lecture in Brick Lane's Vibe Bar in East London all about 'Tourism, Leisure and Mobility' in the world today. As well as discussing the whys and wherefores of tourism's links to climate change, Dr Jim Butcher will also be discussing the social impacts of eco-tourism in contrast to package holidays - his perspective is a challenging and arguably controversial one, as you can see from on of his books. For more specific information on anthropology's links to tourism, then you might also want to take a look at this introductory guide.


WEDNESDAY 14TH MAY - Thinking of Iran

This evening I'll be at SOAS in London for an evening focusing on contemporary, popular Iranian culture. On show will be a series of short films recently made in collaboration with noted Iranian film-maker Rakhshan Bani-Eternad by a group of young film-makers, some of whom have a background in visual anthropology. The films start at 17.00 in Room G3 of the Russell Square Buildings and entrance is FREE. Also, beginning at 17.30 are a couple of seminars entitled 'Framing Muslims' that will explore the representation of Muslims in British society, and the problems surrounding Islamophobia. Again, the event is open to all and entrance is FREE -make your way to the Faber building for this half of the evening.

Diary for 1st May to 7th May 2008

THURSDAY 1ST MAY - Film in fragments

As anthropology has changed over the years, it has become more and more concerned with the relationship between itself, its subjects, and its audience. Tonight I'm going along to an evening called Docufragmentary - an interactive film experience that explores such theoretical issues by breaking down the boundaries between film and viewer. The idea (I think!) is that the audience will be more aware of their interpretation of the film, as well as the interconnectedness of various different parts of society, and how they impact upon a community. The project is centred around the activism of the Brazilian Landless movement. After the film, the artist Nina Simoes will be talking with another film-maker, William Raban, and the exhibition itself goes on until 16th May. To attend tonight you need to head along to the London College of Communication with a print-out of this invitation and be prepared for something different.


FRIDAY 2ND MAY - Watching the English

Since St.George's Day a little over a week ago, that heady celebration of all things English, I've been looking into a new photography project called 'We English'. It's a year-long journey the length and breadth of England by image-maker Simon Roberts, who has previously documented Russia with his camera, and it aims to understand how people "derive meaning and identity" from their leisure time and community activities. Simon will be attending a series of local events across the country in 2008 (you can suggest your own on his ideas page), and you can view pictures along the way on the website. National identity is, of course, a hotly disputed matter...for an interesting introduction to a populist-anthropology view of this green and pleasant land, it might be worth having a look at 'Watching the English' by Kate Fox.


SATURDAY 3RD MAY - Why study anthropology?!?

If my weekly ramblings aren't enough to convince you of the wealth of interesting, inspirational and socially important opportunities offered by anthropology then you might find it useful to check out the following guide to anthropology, published in The Guardian last week. Although I would say anthropology offers a slightly more involved process than 'people-watching' from a cafe, the article is useful in pointing out the skills and career options offered by the subject, as well as the variety of subject matter on offer: "from the music of African pygmies one day and the corporate culture of the car industry the next". Find out more about about some of the places where you can study anthropology here, and don't forget to sign up for this year's London Anthropology Day which I mentioned last week on the blog.


SUNDAY 4TH MAY - Capturing Colombia

Following on from a photographic trip round England (and Russia) on Friday, today I'm off - at least in the form of visual inspiration - to Colombia. 'Once more, with feeling' is a collection of film and photography on show at The Photographers' Gallery in Central London that highlights Colombia's recent history, embracing depictions of the country's notorious violence, but also the humour and energy of its youth. It should be an interesting comparison to the We-English project, especially since it is a collaboration of different artists all with their respective takes on Colombian society. The Photographers' Gallery is open daily, admission is FREE and the exhibition runs until 15th June.





MONDAY 5TH MAY - Inspirational anthropology

Today I'm going to read more about the life and times of an inspiring French anthropologist who passed away last week. Germaine Tillion combined her anthropology - she was based for some time at the famous Musee de l'homme in Paris - with operating as a resistance fighter during the Second World War. Her work is an interesting example of how anthropology can tie in with much wider political concerns, and also be of benefit to increase understanding between communities. For instance, she once said; "What made me lucid is ethnography. From the start it taught me to respect other people’s culture. We are all walled gardens that must, paradoxically, communicate with others. You need to open the doors a bit, and always keep a corner where weeds can grow." In other words, she thought that anthropology was a vitally important tool in combating ignorance and giving voice to the voiceless - stirring words indeed...


TUESDAY 6TH MAY - Women at work

On Tuesday I want to go to a film screening down at Goldsmiths University that's being partly organised by an anthropologist, John Hutnyk, from the Centre for Cultural Studies there. 'Maquilapolis' is about the lives of Mexican workers in the maquiladores (multinational factories) close to the US border, and is part of the 'We are all illegals' film season that has been running for some time there. Like many anthropological films, its production was a collaboration between the film-makers and the contributors - the factory workers and community organisers themselves. The issues of labour, globalisation and identity that it analyses are also very relevant to any budding anthropologist. The screening begins at 18.00 in the Small Hall Cinema and entrance is FREE.


WEDNESDAY 7TH MAY - Magic and amulets

Tonight I'm off to a book launch at the Institute of Jewish Studies in University College London. Maureen Bloom, an anthropologist, will be talking about her new book, 'Jewish Mysticism and Magic: an Anthropological Perspective'. The book is a study of Jewish rites and rituals, including the importance of sacrifice, amulets and naming in Judaism. There is a reception beginning at 18.15 in the Terrace restaurant followed by Maureen's talk at 18.45 in the Gustave Tuck lecture theatre - entrance is FREE.

Also today, consider heading along to the Birkbeck College Open Evening - the college runs a variety of anthropology courses both as part of an undergraduate degree course and on an evening class diploma basis for those of you with less time on your hands! You can book online here - the event is being held at the Royal National Hotel in Central London.

Diary for 24th April to the 30th April 2008

THURSDAY 24TH APRIL - Breaking taboos

Following on from last week's lecture on sex workers in the UK (at Goldsmiths College), I thought I would listen again to this interesting piece from Radio 4's Woman's Hour all about 'Sex in Zanzibar'. It looked at how the mixture of African and Arab cultures there has affected the way women talk about the subject. Intriguingly, although sex used to be publicly taboo, 'godmother' figures existed behind closed doors who would talk frankly to young women about the birds and the bees. It's a good example of an important area of society - and therefore of ethnographic importance - that is often especially hard to understand, but which can be enormously beneficial when it is. Sex - and by extension kinship -is an integral part of many first year anthropology courses - for an example module see this one from LSE.



FRIDAY 25TH APRIL - Futures in anthropology

If you're excited by the thought of studying anthropology at university then you might be interested to read about the London Anthropology Day 2008. Now an established event at the British Museum in London, on 10th July it welcomes A-Level students - as well as university representatives - from all over the country to experience a day of interactive workshops, lectures and film screenings. Last year over 200 people attended, and this year promises to be even more popular with seventeen universities coming along and talks on everything from India dance performance to tracking gorillas in Africa. Bookings are now open, and filling up fast - you can find out more about the day itself and book your FREE place online at the event's website. You can also view a short film made about the 2006 day here.




SATURDAY 26TH APRIL - Cooking and culture

Tuning into the radio again today for last week's Thinking Allowed, which discussed a couple of pretty fascinating topics. First up, social scientist Andrea Tonner was talking about her recent research into why people buy the cookery books they do. Apparently it's related much more to the lifestyles that different celebrity chefs represent, rather than the actual recipes they dish up. After that, a well-known anthropologists from London School of Economics, Henrietta Moore, reveals the impact she believes globalisation has had on local identities and cultures. For more information on food and anthropology - a growing subfield - you could look here, whilst to listen to some other debates involving Professor Moore, visit her webpage here.


SUNDAY 27TH APRIL - It's a wrap

Today is the last chance to see the excellent 'Wrapping Japan' exhibition at the Horniman Musuem in South East London. Whether it's to cover up, protect, accentuate or decorate, the collection explores the importance of wrapping in Japanese culture, where a wide variety of materials are used to encapsulate both people and objects. You can see examples of the exhibits on show, such as the fisherman's coat displayed on the left, on this special webpage. If you miss the last day, there is also a book to go along with the collection available from the museum for a few weeks yet. The Horniman opens from 10.30 to 17.30 daily and admission is FREE.


MONDAY 28TH APRIL - What's on your iAnth?

Anthropologists are sometimes - perhaps unfairly - criticised for failing to adapt to more modern forms of communication. And while it is true that digital methods of ethnography have yet to convince many academics in the field, there are lots of projects out there that do embrace modern technology, as I often try to highlight on the blog. Perhaps not suitable for absolute newcomers, but worth a listen for most interested young anthropologists, are the range of podcasts now on offer from the Society for Applied Anthropologists. They recently posted the audio from their annual meeting, where they discussed how anthropologists can have a more important role in public life. You can see more examples of previous podcasts as well as seeing what's up next on the website. If you search on the i Tunes, there are also several other interesting podcasts available - for example 'Visual Anthropology Weekly' and an 'Introduction to Sociocultural Anthropology'.

TUESDAY 29TH APRIL - Maximum City

Tonight I'm going to Asia House in Central London, the cultural centre for all things related to the continent. Showing tonight is a film from last year - 7 Cities and a Metro - all about Mumbai (aka Bombay), in India, that examines how its intersecting cultures, languages, generations and classes live and work alongside one another. Its mixture of different film styles makes it similar to many works of visual anthropology, using whatever means available to reflect the atmosphere and social make-up of a place. It is also a good example of the complexities of 'urban' anthropology. You can study cities on many anthropology undergraduate courses - a far cry from the traditional rural image of the subject. The film starts at 18.45 and entrance costs £8 or £5 for students.


WEDNESDAY 30TH APRIL - Speaking or burping?

Neanderthals were in the news last week, with the reports that an American anthropologist believes he can represent the way the letter 'e' was spoken 30,000 years ago. Using latest technology, Robert McCarthy has reproduced the burp-like sound by studying the vocal tracts of ancient fossilised skulls. His findings are important in the sense that they suggest Neanderthals spoke, rather than simply grunted, with each other. You can make up your own mind by listening first to the Neanderthal, and then the contemporary, version of 'e'. I'm hoping one day they might come up with something a bit more substantial, in the meantime you might enjoy this speculative article about class differences in Neanderthal society...

Diary for April 17th to April 23rd 2008

THURSDAY APRIL 17TH - Getting the look

Last week saw another contribution to the age-old debate about body appearance by Professor Robin Dunbar, an anthropologist at the University of Durham. His opinion was mentioned in an article about our apparent obsession (or at least the media's obsession) with the appearance of women in public life. Today I want to read about the opinions of Professor Dunbar, who says that, like it or not, appearance does matter and he draws on the fact that victorious US Presidents normally have symmetrical faces to illustrate his argument that beauty is often symbolic of wealth and power. He also thinks that "A woman who is apparently conforming to a demeaning Barbie-doll figure or having all signs of character erased from her face may actually be flaunting her earning power and her ability to pay for fake breasts and Botox"...thoughts that I'm sure are bound to provoke a great deal of debate!


FRIDAY APRIL 18TH - Mursi at the Museum

Come Friday I'm going down to the British Museum for a film that's showing as part of the Ethiopian season I mentioned a few weeks ago. 'Fire will eat us' is by anthropological film-makers David Turton (co-author of Film as Ethnography) and Leslie Woodhead, and is a study of the environmental challenges faced by the Mursi people of Ethiopia. They are currently under threat of eviction from their ancestral lands by a company that allegedly forced them to sign documents they did not understand - you can read David Turton's assessment of the situation here. The film begins at 18.30 and is also followed by a Q&A with David Turton - you can book online or by calling 0207 323 8181, and entrance is £3, or £2 for students.


SATURDAY APRIL 19TH - Indigenous knowledge

Following the film I saw yesterday I want to find out more about the different indigenous peoples of the world, so I'm going to browse the internet to see what I can discover. Anthropologists are often involved in the study of indigenous societies, and many work for organisations that campaign to uphold their rights. For example, The Peoples of the World Foundation is a group that highlights the lives of indigenous people using photography and film, in doing so hope to 'educate and enlighten' its vewers. Also worth checking out is Survival International, a non-governmental organisation that is often in the press for its work, most recently perhaps regarding their campaign to stop people referring to indigenous people as 'primitive'...and there are also many interesting films on their website from around the world.




SUNDAY APRIL 20TH - At home with the Headhunters

For a completely different type of web-resource, this week also sees the launch of a website about one of the earliest ethnographic films - 'In the Land of the Head-Hunters' by Edward Curtis. The silent film, from 1914, is seen as a landmark in the history of not just anthropological, but also documentary film in general, for its portrayal of the Kwakwaka'wakw people and their culture. The website includes footage from the original film, as well as present day input from the Kwakwaka'wakw people in the form of a dance performance by descendants of the original 'cast', as well as a new arrangement of the original music. The project is organised around a series of live events, all in the USA unfortunately, (though they should be put up on the website) - the ultimate aim is to view the original film from the perspective of the current community members.


MONDAY APRIL 21ST - A dog's life

On Monday I'm planning to listen again to last week's episode of Thinking Allowed, which featured a fascinating discussion on the role of animals as pets within human society. It's not as unusual a research area as you might think - many anthropologists study the interaction between people and animals, including for instance the 'culture' of horse-racing (see Rebecca Cassidy and The Sport of Kings), and even the relationship between humans and insects. The radio programme arose out of the findings of a study that claimed 23% of humans list their pets as part of their support network - almost enough inspiration for you to consider studying it as part of an anthropology degree...


TUESDAY APRIL 22ND - On the Game

More interesting subfields of anthropology today as I'm off to Goldsmiths University in London for an inaugural lecture by Professor Sophie Day, entitled 'On the Game'. Professor Day has spent many years conducting award-winning research with prostitutes and sex workers in the UK, and is especially interested in the issues of HIV AIDS and concepts of 'risk'. Her lecture will draw on the 15 years she has spent speaking to sex workers about their emotions and lives in the face of widespread social disapproval. The talk should be well-worth listening to - it begins at 17.30 in the Ian Gulland Lecture Theatre and you need to email inaugurals@gold.ac.uk or call 0207 919 7033 if you would like to attend.





WEDNESDAY APRIL 23RD - Surfing the Ethnoweb

Rounding up the week is the happy news today that Ethnodoc - the visual anthropology website - have just announced that all the their film content is now viewable online for FREE! In case you haven't read about Ethnodoc on the blog before, it's an Italian organisation that aims to link people interested in visual anthropology across the globe, providing photographs, films and articles on visual material free of charge - once you've signed up for free membership. It's a useful place to look at if you're interested in the subject, and also to research links to other similar organisations and hear the latest news about conferences and events.

Diary for Thursday 10th April to Wednesday 16th April 2008

THURSDAY 10TH APRIL - Easing into anthropology

Tonight I'm going along to an event at the Blackwell's University bookshop in Oxford Brookes University. It's the launch of a new guide to social anthropology called 'An Introduction to Social Anthropology: Sharing our Worlds' which is one of variety of books out there that's useful for newcomers to the subject. Interestingly, sections of the text are written by indigenous people themselves, so we get a first-hand account of their concerns and beliefs. The author and anthropologist, Joy Hendry ( A Japan specialist) will also be on hand to talk about the book. If you want to find out more about her in advance you could listen to an episode of Radio 4's Excess Baggage that she appeared on last year, talking about the experience of conducting fieldwork. The book launch begins at 17.00 and the shop is located on Gipsy Lane in the Headington area of Oxford - to attend you will need to contact jhendry@brookes.ac.uk.




FRIDAY 11TH APRIL - Reading the leaves

I'm winding down the week at the British Museum and settling in for a good ole cuppa...Japanese style. There's the opportunity to experience the whys and wherefores of the historical, but still very culturally important, Japanese tea ceremony at both 13.30 and 15.00. Funnily enough, Joy Hendry (see Thursday's event) has written a little about the role of the tea ceremony in Japanese society. There are also a number of other interesting articles online that analyse the ceremony, so you can be fully clued up before going along. The event is FREE and you can just drop in.





SATURDAY 12TH APRIL - Tuning in to the resistance

Hold me in your arms, don't let me go, I want to stay forever. You might think 'Home and Away' is a film festival celebrating the best ever episodes of the antipodean soap opera. It's not - instead, much more intriguingly, it's a celebration of Romanian film including documentaries that explore issues at the core of anthropology's concerns. Tonight I'm off to watch Cold Waves, about a radio station which acted as a centrepiece of the resistance against Communist state abuse. It was made by an award-winning director who is credited with bringing documentary a new-found respect in Romania - for years it was seen only as a propaganda tool for the government. This tension between the use and abuse of media, and how society is represented on film, is a key consideration in visual anthropology, so the film should be well-worth watching. It begins at 20.30 at the Curzon Mayfair in London and you can book online here; tickets cost £12.


SUNDAY 13TH APRIL - Who will have the last laugh?!

Today sees the punchline session - i.e. the last day's viewing - of an exhibition that's been running at the Hayward Gallery in on the South Bank in London for the last month or so - 'Laughing in a Foreign Language'. The collection includes photography, film and interactive installations that all explore the cross-cultural nature of humour and ask whether jokes can be appreciated by people from diverse cultural backgrounds. It is a section of anthropology that has received relatively little coverage over the years, although this book was written on the subject, so maybe going along might provide the inspiration to set up your very own sub-field of anthropology. Tickets are priced at £5.50 for students and the exhibition is open between 10.00 and 18.00 - you can book online here.





MONDAY 14TH APRIL - Movie on Mali

On Monday I want to head down to a film that's on at SOAS in Central London called Dolce Vita Africana. It charts the life, times and pictures of Malian photographer Malick Sidibe. From the 1950s through until the 1970s he caught a generation of young Malians on film celebrating their independence from colonial rule, and then falling under a brutal dictatorship. The film claims to be not only about Sidibe's art, but also about how culture is reflected through the lens - a key consideration of visual anthropologists. The showing has been arranged by Friends of Mali in the UK, and is followed by a Q&A with the director. It begins at 19.00 in the Khalili Theatre, and entrance is FREE.


TUESDAY 15TH APRIL - Faces from different places

Studying cross-cultural comparison and communication is something that anthropologists frequently get up to, which is why the new exhibition by campaigning organisation PhotoVoice should be a good one to attend. 'Side by Side' is a collection of photographs produced by young Israelis and Palestinians who have lost family members in the conflict. The aim of the project was to create a form of visual 'dialogue' between the two groups so that the teenagers would understand each other's point of view at a greater depth. Projects like these often involve anthropologists because of their experience in putting across alternative points of view. The exhibition is being held at The Economist Plaza in Central London until May 1st (open 10.00 until 18.00) and admission is FREE - you can read more about it in an article here.


WEDNESDAY 16TH APRIL - Expand your Horizons

University Open Days are often the best opportunity to find out about the variety of different courses on offer at a college - you can talk to academics, current students and admissions tutors. Today, I'll be back down at the School of Oriental and African Studies, or SOAS, in London to look into their anthropology options, which include specialisms in the anthropology of food, development, media and migration - you can find out more about ALL the modules available here. The open day runs from 11.00 until 17.00 in the Brunei Gallery and includes a tour of the campus. To book a place, call the admissions office on 020 7898 4034 or email study@soas.ac.uk

Diary for Thursday 3rd April to 9th April 2008

THURSDAY 3RD APRIL - The Legacy of War

On Thursday I'm back down at the London International Documentary Festival that I mentioned on last week's blog for the screening of 'A Story of People in War & Peace', made by an Armenian director who revisits the site of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict which he filmed in detail twelve years earlier. The documentary follows his meetings with other soldiers from the battles, and examines the effect the fighting has had on their subsequent lives. It is followed by a discussion about the film with a number of experts on the region, including Ger Duijzings – Reader in the Anthropology of Eastern Europe, at the School of Slavonic and Eastern European Studies. The film begins at 18.30 in the Renoir Cinema and tickets cost £10.


FRIDAY 4TH APRIL - Learning of Lalibela

More films on offer starting today at the British Museum, which for the next month will be hosting a season of Ethiopian films. A number of these are made by or with anthropologists - look out for names such as David Turton, author of Film as Ethnography, Leslie Woodhead and John Bulmer. Today's films there are two for the price of one - focus on Lalibela, a holy site in the north of the country, beginning at 18.30. The season is linked to the ongoing display in Room 3 of the Museum, Church and Emperor: An Ethiopian Crucifixion - which celebrates the first Easter of the new Ethiopian Millennium. Tickets for the films are priced at £3 (£2 for students) and I'll be flagging some of the other films in coming weeks.





SATURDAY 5TH APRIL - Doctors in the field

On Saturday I'm going to investigate the growing 'subfield' that is medical anthropology. Researchers with an interest in the social and cultural impact of medicine and treatments often work in specialist advisory positions, helping policy makers decide how local knowledge should link up with government-level advice and provisions. There's plenty of material on the subject, including this useful online film about a project in Namibia run by an anthropologist. You can also browse a list of medical anthropology books here, and look into specifically tailored degree courses on the subject here.


SUNDAY 6TH APRIL - Visualising the margins

Today is the last chance to see an exhibition at The Photographers' Gallery in Central London of the finalists for the prestigious Deutsche Borse prize. Short listed and on display in the gallery this year are four photographers including Esko Mannikko, from Finland. His work focused on capturing the lives of 'those at the periphery', which is something anthropologists also often seek to understand. There are also short films on show at the gallery about each of the artist's work. The Exhibition is open between 12.00 and 18.00 on Sundays, and admission is FREE.






MONDAY 7TH APRIL - Singing the Marseillaise

You may remember the suburban race riots that have occurred in France over the last few years, and the fairly unsympathetic reactions of the government. Today I'm going to listen to the latest episode of Thinking Allowed, which asked why such problems did not really affect Marseille, the country's second largest - and most ethnically diverse - city. It featured anthropologist Anne Lovell, who is conducting research on the topic, and thinks the existence of many grassroots organisations and Marseille's cosmopolitan integration is responsible for the lack of trouble and tensions. Interestingly, the programme is not - as it is normally - a studio discussion, but features presenter Laurie Taylor on a mini-ethnography of Marseille talking to its residents and learning about their communities.


TUESDAY 8TH APRIL - What's on the interweb?

'The power of the web' is a phrase often chucked around along with many other cliches such as 'youtube generation', so today I want to do a bit of digging and find out what the internet could mean for anthropologists. In the news recently has been a 'Digital Ethnography' project set up at the University of Kansas in America which explores how the ways in which we create, store and distribute information in today's society. The idea behind it is to provide a greater understanding of the power and 'culture' of video technology. For more information on internet anthropology, a good place to look is the work of UCL academic Daniel Miller, who has written widely on new media, for example in The Internet: An Ethnographic Approach.


WEDNESDAY 9TH APRIL - Teatime with Tajikstan

I'm off to Oxford on Wednesday, to the Pitt-Rivers Museum, for a lecture entitled 'Tajikstan: From main artery of the silk trade to now forgotten land' by the academic and journalist Shahin Bekhradnia. As you might have guessed by the title, Tajikstan is a place about which comparatively little is known in the west, so this should be an interesting event. It's one of a series of public lectures held at the ethnographic museum from time to time, and also provides a useful excuse to have a look around the collections once more while I'm there. The lecture begins at 18.15, with refreshments from 17.45, and visitors are asked to donate £2 towards running costs.