Diary for 14th August to 20th August 2008

THURSDAY 14TH AUGUST - The meaning of weapons


This afternoon I'm going to wander over to The British Museum for a talk by anthropologist Max Carocci on Native American Weapons: Protection & Magic. He will be talking about how weapons have a long history of cultural meaning in Native American society. Interestingly, such symbols have in recent years also been 'appropriated' by several American sports teams - many an American football fan might brandish a plastic tomahawk for instance - and it is a subject which has also been written about by anthropologists. Dr Carocci conducted his phD research on being gay and Native American in California, so is something of an expert on the area. The lecture begins at 13.15 in Room 27 and admission is FREE.



FRIDAY 15TH AUGUST - Fancy making a film?

For the budding film-makers amongst you, this weekend might be the time to start thinking of ideas for a new ethnographic film festival aimed specifically at students. Hosted by the Goldsmiths University Anthropology Society, the ISEFF 2008 is not until mid-November, but the deadline for film submissions is 22nd September which does not leave you an enormous amount of time if you want to get making films. Running over two days, the festival is divided into 'anthropology as service' - looking at how anthropology is being used in non-academic settings, and 'aesthetics of encounter' - about the value of visual ethnographic research. You can download more information about the rules on the website, and if you needed any more incentive there's also cash prizes available...



SATURDAY 16TH AUGUST - The Tide of Life

On Saturday I'm going to an exhibition at Tate St.Ives featuring artist Adam Chodzko. Although he doesn't refer to anthropology directly in his work, there is much that it has in common with the subject. This collection, 'Proxigean Tide' is a retrospective from his career, which has often focused on the rituals and cultural practices of people on the margins of society. By reflecting artistically on these social spheres, he makes the viewer reconsider their own relationship to life, which can often also be the outcome of anthropological research. The exhibition is open daily until 21st September, between 10.00 and 17.20, and entrance costs £3.75 for students. You can also view a filmed interview with Chodzko here.





SUNDAY 17TH AUGUST - Resistance is not so futile

A fine read on the cards for today, as I'm going to learn more about a text recounting an anthropologist's adventures around the globe organising and participating in anti-globalisation protests. 'Resistance' is usually a key section of study on any undergraduate anthropology degree, so 'Networking Futures' should be a fascinating look at a fairly abstract part of society. The author, Jeffrey Juris, particularly looks at the way political activism has developed using technology to avoid hierarchy and operate efficiently without much money, as well as giving many examples of the kinds of people who make up these networks. The book is available to buy online, though is only directly on sale in the US at the moment.



MONDAY 18TH AUGUST - Metalheads

Some time ago on the blog I mentioned the documentary film Metal - A Headbanger's Journey, which followed a Canadian anthropologist and heavy metal fan's investigation into the subculture and community of heavy metal. The film provoked such a wide response that Sam Dunn - the anthropologist and director - has decided to make a follow-up about metal music in some places less renowned for their love of the genre. If you've ever wondered what the difference is between Indonesian death metal and Iranian thrash metal is, then Global Metal is the film for you. You can find out more about screenings on the film's website and also view a trailer here.


TUESDAY 19TH AUGUST - First dates with a difference

Today I'm going to 'tuck into' a book that has just been published, bluntly entitled "Come on shore and we will kill you and eat you all". It's a fascinating blend of a love story, travelogue and anthropological fieldwork....of sorts. The author, Christina Thompson, is a respected anthropologist, who married an indigenous Maori over twenty years ago, and has as a result become fascinated by 'contact encounters' or the interaction between people from entirely different communities. The book recounts how she has analysed her husband, and their relationship, over the years, and takes its title from Darwin's exclamation when he arrived in New Zealand in 1835, with a rather scared and stereotypical attitude towards the locals. The book is available to buy online and you can read a review here.






WEDNESDAY 20TH AUGUST - The reason behind the rhythm

I'm going to end the week with a bit of a boogie down at the Horniman Museum, for a session that's part of their ongoing series of summer dance events. 'Merengue with Mandacaru Dance Theatre' is a lesson in the merengue dance form from the Dominican Republic. As well as being a good opportunity to learn a few new moves, it is also a good example of the role dance can have in society, and how we can often learn more about a community through their cultural performances. It is said that the steps to the dance originated on the island's plantations, when enslaved people, who cut sugar cane to the beat of drums, were chained together and so were forced to drag one leg. Intriguing stuff - there are two sessions from 14.00 until 14.30 and 15.00 until 15.30, and admission is FREE. You can also study the Anthropology of Dance at Roehampton University - clink here for more details.

Diary for August 7th to August 13th 2008

THURSDAY AUGUST 7TH - Working wonder

Today I'm going to the launch night of an exhibition called 'Working London' at The Gallery in Willesden Green, Northwest London, . Featuring the work of four different artists, it takes a look at the working lives of people in the capital right across the spectrum. Labour has always been an important topic in anthropology, largely because it has such an important impact on how the rest of our lives and society works. The exhibition runs until the end of the month and is open daily between 14.00 and 18.00, except today when the launch begins at 18.00. Admission is FREE - if you want more information you can call the curator on 07919 520 320.





FRIDAY AUGUST 8TH - Don't worry, be happy

A return to the LIDF Encore today, in association with Pocketvisions, as I'm off to the Roxy Bar & Screen in London Bridge for the showing of two films. The first is 'Are you Happy?', made in Iran, in which the film-maker went into the houses of various different people from distinct sections of Iranian society and posed them the very simple question of the film's title. It's inspired by Chronicle of a Summer, directed by Jean Rouch in the 1960s, and one of the most famous ethnographic film-makers of all time, in which he used the same approach to ask people in Paris about their lives. The film is followed by Feminin Masculin, a short film about the first female bus driver in Tehran - you can also view it online at the excellent 'Why Democracy?' website. The films at the Roxy being at 18.30 and entrance is FREE.



SATURDAY AUGUST 9TH - More than just a sport?

I mentioned Professor Susan Brownell on the blog some months ago, but since the Olympics begin today I thought I'd flag up a quick update. She is an American anthropologist undertaking research in Beijing on the wider role that sport plays in the body politic and culture of China, particularly in relation to the imminent Games. In the last few months her book on the subject, 'Beijing's Games: What the Olympics mean to China', has been published and you can read sample chapters of the text online. Sport and anthropology is still a relatively small, but growing, area of work - surprising perhaps given its prominent place in our society, However, there are a few other books about on the subject, and you can study modules that link the two fields on, for example, the BA in Sport at the University of Durham.



SUNDAY AUGUST 10TH - Reel Lives

This Sunday I thought I would check out a fantastic resource that's available down at the British Film Institute on London's South Bank. It's called the Mediatheque, and has an archive of a wide selection of films from the BFI's National Archive. I've mentioned it before on the blog, but the assortment of films available for viewing are constantly changing - and the breadth of subject matter is so great that it's an interesting place to learn a little more about a certain aspect of society, or even to begin a research project. At the moment, highlights include films shot in pre-1950s Tibet before it was taken over by China - The Search for Shangri-La, , and Housewives' Choice - about the lives of British women in the home between 1920 and 1950. The Mediatheque is open from Wednesday to Sunday between 11.00 until 20.00 (with the exception of Tuesday mornings) and is FREE to use.



MONDAY AUGUST 11TH - Squeaky clean gambling

Today it's my regular listen-again session to an episode of Thinking Allowed - last week it featured anthropologist Adam Kuper in discussion with the author of a new book on a cultural history of cleanliness - entitled appropriately enough as 'Clean'. The book looks at the history of personal hygiene from pre-historic times right up until the present day, including several detailed looks at the 'rituals' of personal grooming. The programme also features a sociologist presenting her research on the gambling habits of women, and how their betting influences their wider lives. So if you fancy having a wager on the next time your housemate might actually do some cleaning up, this is probably the radio show for you...


TUESDAY AUGUST 12TH - Strangers abroad

On Saturday I'll be putting my feet up and relaxing in front of 'The Thirties in Colour', a television series recently shown on BBC4 and now available to view online using the iplayer. It focuses on the first colour films made (only by by those wealthy enough to afford the expensive past-time), and how they saw the world around them, both domestically and in faraway places. Many of their observations are steeped in the perspective of the day, with a very superior view of the 'exotic tribes' they saw on their travels. Yet for the early images alone the films are fascinating for their representation of the interaction between westerners and indigenous peoples. For an alternative point of view, you could also try getting hold of 'Cannibal Tours', an excellent ethnographic film that investigates the prejudices of those who embark on invasive tourism - the film's tagline is "There is nothing so strange in a strange land, as the stranger who comes to visit it'.


WEDNESDAY AUGUST 13TH - Stitched up

A new venue to visit today, when I'll be heading to Leighton House in West London - the former home of a Victorian artist. The Royal Anthropological Institute has hosted exhibitions there in the past, and starting this afternoon is 'Stitched' by Iranian artist Farhad Ahrarnia, whose work, much like anthropology, aims to expose the relationship between surface-level perception of people or groups and what lies beneath. There's a talk about the new collection at 15.00, and it is also well-worth browsing the rest of the house's contents, many of which date from Lord Leighton's travels in the Middle East (for a virtual online tour go here). The Museum is open daily, except Tuesday, and entrance costs £3, or £1 for students.

Diary for 24th July to 30th July 2008

THURSDAY 24TH JULY - Getting throaty in Cambridge

I'm kicking off the week in style tonight, as I'm attending a workshop put on by Siberian musicians Altai Kai at the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in Cambridge. The six-piece group from the Altai mountains in Southern Siberia will be performing their unique combination of 'kai' - or 'throat-singing' - accompanied by traditional instruments from the region including horse-hair fiddles and shamanic drums. The songs are designed to gain the favour of the powerful mountain spirits who will protect their hunters and herdsmen. The event is FREE to attend - for more information you can call the museum on 01223 333516, and is a fantastic chance to see the group in a smaller setting before they head off for the likes of the Royal Opera House.







FRIDAY 25TH JULY - Observing Olga

I'm off to Pocketvisions again tonight for what sounds like an ethnographic film in the most traditional, observational definition of the genre. Olga & Time is set in the Italian mountains and depicts a morning-in-the-life of Olga, a cow herdswoman as she works, enjoys nature and boils milk. It is "a poetic visions of a few hours in the life of the earth" and follows in the footsteps of some other anthropological films that have not sought to explain, merely to present. Perhaps most well known of these (and also widely studied on undergraduate courses) is Robert Gardner's Forest of Bliss, about everyday life in the Indian town of Benares. Such films attract a fair amount of discussion as to whether they are more or less helpful as a way of representing society, or corner of society. The only way to decide is by watching one yourself, so that's why I'll be going along to Olga & Time, which begins at 18.30 in London Bridge's Roxy Bar & Screen - entrance is FREE.


SATURDAY 26TH JULY - Silent tongues

On Tuesday I'm going to visit an exhibition being put on in East London by Susan Hiller. She trained as an anthropologist at university and her work has often concentrated on recording human behaviour and the peculiarities of different groups. 'The Last Silent Movie' is her latest work, and is an audio installation made up of extinct or endangered languages. The idea is that by exhibiting these voices she is ensuring that their knowledge continues to provoke meaning even today. The exhibition is showing at Matt's Gallery all weekend, with the film every half hour between 12.00 and 18.00. You can also watch an interview with Susan Hiller here to learn more about her approach to her work.



SUNDAY 27TH JULY - Music from India

More music on Sunday as I'm down at The Horniman Museum in South-East London for the 'Utsavam Fest' going on all afternoon. The event includes an assortment of arts, crafts and food from India and is linked in to the ongoing exhibition Utsavam - Music from India which is running at the Horniman until November. The exhibition features rarely-seen or known instruments from many different parts of rural India, and looks at the different geographical, cultural and social environments in which music is produced (watch a short video here). The event lasts from 13.00 until 18.00 and admission is FREE - the museum is also open until 17.30.



MONDAY 28TH JULY - Snappy dressers

Today I'll be getting suited and booted to sit down and listen to a recent episode of Radio 4's Thinking Allowed, which focused on the overwhelming popularity of the western business suit as the choice of dress for world leaders. The discussants on the show, who include renowned LSE anthropologist Henrietta Moore, will be debating what it is about the garment that is so appealing to those in power. It's all linked to the publication of a recent book 'Clothing: A Global History', coming to a book shop near you soon. Clothing is an important subfield in anthropology, because it is often an important form of cultural expression and, as is the case here, can also tell us a lot about the presentation of power in social relations. You can listen to other talks involving Professor Moore on her website here.

TUESDAY 29TH JULY - Unpacking reality

Today I'll be attending an exhibition recently featured in The Guardian (viewable online) called 'I packed this Myself'. It's organised by the community-cohesion group Bridging Arts and is a series of traveling suitcases that include information and objects relating to the lives of migrant workers in Southern England, aiming to inform local people about their communities and combat some of the rural racism that exists. At the moment, suitcases include one from Eastern Europe and another from Portugal, and they are touring Cornwall over coming weeks. There's plenty of further information and resources on the website, so check it out...




WEDNESDAY 30TH JULY - Women in Benin

Sad news for anthropologists about town, good news for Lucy's suntan - next week I'll be off doing some foreign 'research', so there'll be a brief week off from the blog. To make sure you don't miss out, here's an advance heads-up for another screening 'Upstairs at the RAI' on 4th August. Following the successful event a couple of weeks ago, the film Si-Gueriki - The Queen Mother, directed by Benin film-maker Idrissou Mora-Kpai, will be showing at 18.00, introduced by the director. It is a wide-ranging reflection on the role of Borgu women in their North Benin society, and their changing role and position within the community - you can read a much more detailed summary here. If you would like to attend, the screening is FREE and more information can be obtained from Susanne Hammacher, the RAI film officer on 020 7387 0455.

Diary for 17th July to the 23rd July 2008

THURSDAY 17TH JULY - Out of the forest

This afternoon I'm going to learn a little more about the Kayapo people, who live in Brazil. The Kayapo have a long-standing connection with anthropology, and they came into the news this week when they were visited by the team from the BBC television series 'Amazon' (who also made the series 'Tribe'). They are well-known for their battle in 1989 against a proposed dam that would have flooded their lands. At the time, they were working on a pioneering ethnographic film project with the American anthropologist Terence Turner, in which he was trying to encourage the Kayapo to make their own films about their lives. The project is much discussed on Visual Anthropology courses in debates around authorship, and the control over images that are created of indigenous peoples. You can read more about it here, as well as the new campaign the Kayapo are having to wage against another dam project at the moment.




FRIDAY 18TH JULY - The Iron Men

The 'Encore' Season from the London International Documentary Festival, organised by anthropologists Patrick Hazard, continues this week at a new venue - the British Museum. Showing this evening at 18.30 in the Stevenson Lecture Theatre is the award-winning Ironeaters, which depicts the lives of workers in Southern Bangladesh, who spend their days dismantling huge cargo ships that are no longer needed as functioning vessels. It should be a fascinating exploration of issues of labour and globalisation, as well as a look at economic migration - since many of the shipyard's workers travel from north Bangladesh because it is the only work they can find. Tickets cost £3, or £2 for students, and they can be purchased online.




SATURDAY 19TH JULY - One and Other

As I have mentioned before on the blog, the artist Anthony Gormley (the man behind the Angel of the North) is heavily influenced in his work by his undergraduate studies in anthropology at Cambridge University. And this has perhaps never been more evident than in his latest commission which was recently unveiled, as the occupant of the 4th plinth in Trafalgar Square, with his work 'One and Other'. For 100 days, a different person will occupy the space for an hour at a time, with the aim of providing a showpiece of the diversity and interconnectedness of London's populace. You can watch a clip of Anthony Gormley talking about the work here, as well as read more about how his work is anthropological in this article by anthropologist Hugh Brody, who sees his endeavour as "a search for an end to alienation", which could also reasonably be applied to the work of anthropology in some ways...





SUNDAY 20TH JULY - View from the Valleys

As I mentioned on last week's blog, the new series of Wales Observed begins today on BBC Radio Wales, drawn from the archives of Massobs - the 'everyday anthropology' organisation. The first episode is taken from the diary of a teenager preparing to leave school in 1937, and his thoughts on what the future holds. It is an early example of how anthropologists - or related bodies at least - were beginning to look at their own societies for knowledge of how we live, as well as traveling to far-flung locations (as is the stereotype often held of anthropology). The show is airing at 12.3o, but remember it will be available on 'listen again' for seven days afterwards if you miss it first time around.




MONDAY 21ST JULY - Weeping over a wedding

A great chance today to see a fantastic anthropological film, and all in the eminent setting of the Royal Anthropological Institute. 'Every Good Marriage Begin with Tears' won the RAI Film Prize at last year's Ethnographic Film Festival, and tells the story of an East London Muslim girl and the unraveling of her arranged marriage with a Bangladeshi man. It also follows her sister's trip to Bangladesh for a marriage of her own, and all the misgivings that go with it. The film examines the differences in attitude between different generations of a Bangladeshi family, as well as exploring that perennial question - the meaning of love. The RAI are busy tracking down the film's director to host a discussion after the film, and will also provide refreshments during the screening. The event is scheduled to begin at 18.45 and entrance is FREE, you can find directions on their webste here.




TUESDAY 22ND JULY - Resisting conformity

This evening I'm off to the opening night of a two-day film festival being held at The Flea Pit in East London called Persistence Resistance. It's a showcase of films from India that deal with socio-political issues, and today in particular the focus is on borderlands -so issues of the nation state played against local identity, as well as a couple of films about the metropolis - and its associated diaspora of identity, with the screening of the renowned portrait of Mumbai, '7 Islands and a Metro'. The motivation behind the festival is also interestingly to bring the spectator into dialogue with the films' subjects, rather than being a detached outsider, similar to any involved anthropology. The screenings start at 17.00, and entrance costs £5 for the night, or £8 if you plan to attend tomorrow as well.



WEDNESDAY 23RD JULY - Feeling Horniman

Felling restless come Wednesday, so I'll be down in the gardens of the anthropological Horniman Museum, dancing with the Nzinga Ensemble. They will be performing and demonstrating the Kweyol dance, which originates in Africa and is based on fertility and good fortune rituals. There will be the oppportunity to learn, listen and also partake for the more nimble amongst you. The session, like the rest of the Museum, is FREE to attend, and lasts from 14.00 until 15.30 with a break in the middle.

Diary for July 3rd to July 9th 2008

THURSDAY JULY 3RD - An enticing brew

After waking up with a strong cuppa' today, I'll be starting off with a visit to the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (MAA) in Cambridge to have a look at their collection of Zisha teapots from China. The pots are apparently the finest vessels in all the world for preparing tea, and remain a luxury item in their homeland. This exhibition looks at the notions of 'authenticity' that lie behind them, for whilst the teapots are presented as spontaneous artistic creations by their makers, they are in fact the result of many years of training and careful craft. Tea, as such an important commodity, has been the subject of several anthropologists' studies, such as Alan Macfarlane's 'Green Gold', and Chatterjee's 'A time for Tea'. It was also the subject of Goldsmiths student ethnographic film - which you can watch online. The MAA is open from Tuesday to Saturday between 10.30 and 16.30 and entrance is FREE.






FRIDAY JULY 4th - Lifting horizons

There's an interesting event happening at the moment called the LIFT Festival at the Southbank Centre in London. The idea behind LIFT is that culture can enable people to engage more readily in political and social understanding across perceived boundaries. The events take place in a portable structure that is also visiting various other parts of the country this year - see their homepage for details. At the Southbank this week, events include the Aboriginal group 'The Black Arm Band', as well as many other indigenous groups from around the globe. Tonight, there's also 'The Long Table on Human Rights' which looks at the way performance overlaps with the protection of human rights. The Long Table begins at 18.00 and admission costs £5.


SATURDAY JULY 5TH - Removing rights

On Saturday I'm attending a new play down by London Bridge (which is then going on national tour to Manchester and Liverpool) about the asylum and refugee situation in the UK at the moment. Interestingly, it is an interactive experience, as the audience wander between sections of the 'removal centre' stage. Featuring original testimony from asylum seekers' experiences, including one which you can view online here, the production is being put on by The Red Room - an arts organisation which aims to questions the status quo. This interrogation of stereotypes and perception is crucial in anthropology, so the play should be well-worth getting along to. It runs at the Southwark Playhouse until 12th July at 19.30 and tickets are cheaper the earlier you book!





SUNDAY JULY 6TH - Tibet on screen

This fine Sunday I'm planning to learn more about Tibetan society. Firstly, following up on last week's blog, I'm going to watch 'Youth, Diaspora and the Search for Identity' at the ICA in London. Beginning at 16.30 (and costing £7 for students) it's a compilation of short films about young Tibetans living far from their homeland, and their lives in places such as India and Canada. One of the films, 'One Day with Rinpoche', also tells the story of an incarnate lama living in exile in India. And if that's not enough - or you just can't make it down to the ICA, you might like to take advantage of the BBC's new iplayer service, where you can watch the recently screened 'Wheel of Time' - directed by Werner Herzog, and produced by renowned visual anthropologist Andre Singer. It's all about the Buddhist Kalachakra initiation and includes an interview with the Dalai Lama. For a programme on Herzog himself you could also try and watch again the Imagine episode about him that was on last week.


MONDAY JULY 7TH - A degree of choice

For those of you thinking about where to go to apply to university this autumn, then you might be interested to check out the guide to different institutions that was published last week in Times. Anthropology is picked out in several of the reviews - for example it is "internationally outstanding" as University College London, a "spectacular success" at Goldsmiths College, and a new course in forensic anthropology came highly-rated at Dundee. There are over 400 anthropology courses on offer in the UK - for the full list you can visit the Good University Guide on the website. It's also worth checking out the links from the Royal Anthropological Institute's information page, as well as the homepages of the anthropology departments that will be present at next week's London Anthropology Day.


TUESDAY JULY 8TH - Doing the wife thing?

Today, with slight hesitation, I'm going to watch the latest in the long line of TV anthropology that has arrived on our screens. 'Tribal Wives' follows the experiences of various women as they visit supposedly 'remote' locations to understand what is missing in their busy UK lives. The idea seems to be that by spending time with women from tribal societies they can find some answers. Films such as these are tricky for the anthropologist, since while it is normally a good thing to learn about other cultures on a wider basis, the focus can often be misleading. You can read an interesting article on the series by UCL anthropologist Michael Stewart in which he laments the lack of a native point of view. If you want to watch the films themselves, they are on the BBC iplayer site, and also broadcast at 21.00 on BBC2 on Wednesdays.


WEDNESDAY JULY 9TH - Workers of the world unite

I'm down at a new exhibition in East London in the Whitechapel Gallery today featuring a Chinese artist, Wang Jianwei, who uses film to investigate issues of power and history in China's rapidly changing social and economic climate. His work is being shown together with that of Ali Kamza, whose films are studies of the work and lives of skilled workers, from artisans to doctors. Ethnographic films have often represented issues of labour and economics, since they are both widely studied by anthropologists. You can view examples of the work on the website.
The Gallery is open from Wednesday to Sunday between 11.00 and 18.00 and entrance is FREE.

Diary for 26th June to 2nd July 2008

THURSDAY 26TH JUNE - More than a bookworm

Tonight my plan is to head over to West London for a night called Book Slam. It's a heady combination of literature, music, performance and all things cultural, and it's run by author and ex-anthropology student Patrick Neate. Every month Book Slam plays host to a variety of authors and other artistic types who give their insights on the world. This week, the main attraction is author Patience Agbabi, who will be reading extracts from 'Bloodshot Monochrome', her new book of poetry that looks at cross-cultural issues in East London. To learn more about Pat Neate's own writing, and perhaps gain an indication of how anthropology links into his own work, have a look at his website here. Book Slam start at 20.00 at Neighbourhood Bar, and tickets cost £6 for students, £8 full price.






FRIDAY 27TH JUNE -Look to the heavens in Wales

The long-awaited Wales Anthropology Day is upon us today, as flagged on the blog in the last few weeks. The day is an enticing blend of workshops about the many different options of study for the budding anthropologist, and is being held at the University of Wales in Lampeter. It's still not too late to sign up for the day, which runs from 9.30 until 16.30 and is FREE to attend. Highlights include workshops on the impact of body-paint, costume, and 'bling' attire on our identity, as well as a rare session on 'cultural astronomy', which looks at magic and astrology in contemporary society. The University of Wales actually has a specialist unit, the Sophia Centre, set up to study cosmology, and how humans have, and still do use the sky to tell stories about their existence. Spell-binding stuff..





SATURDAY 28TH JUNE - Ted is the new black

If it's mental stimulation you're looking for, then you can't go far wrong with the video website TED (standing for Tecnology, Entertainment, Design). It has a huge range of talks by inspiring intellectual and public figures on a wide array of subjects, including some directly related to anthropology. For example, there's a couple of talks on there by Wade Davis, an activist for indigenous communities who trained as an 'ethnobotanist', as well as one by paleoanthropologist Zerensey Alemseged on the discovery of the ancient skeleton Selam (related to Lucy by the by...) and what she can tell us about humanity. Almost all the talks are limited to under 20 minutes so you can even get your brain stimulation in the time it takes to eat breakfast...



SUNDAY 29TH JUNE - Leaving a mark(er)

There's another Pocketvisions Encore selection of intriguing ethnographic documentaries screening today at the Roxy Bar & Screen near London Bridge. As usual, the showings are divided into two sessions, with films this week about attempts to suppress the coca trade in South America, ice harvesting in the Andes and also a re-working of an old, classic documentary. The latter film in question is Chris Marker's 1960 'Description of a Struggle' about the young state of Israel - which has been reworked into Description of a Memory, interweaving present-day footage of Israel with archive from Marker's film. Chris Marker's work is often studied on visual anthropology because his poetic approach to subjects is similar to the way some ethnographic film-makers have attempted to use film as a more expressive way of representing other societies than through words. The films are showing from 15.00 until 18.30 and one £3 ticket gets you into as much of that period as you like. Tickets can even be purchased online here.


MONDAY 30TH JUNE - Religion & Iraq in Glasgow

On Monday I'm off to a final Refugee Week exhibition (several were mentioned on the blog last week) up in Glasgow at the St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art. 'Life after Iraq' is a collection of photographs and writing by two Scottish journalists, Angela Caitlin and Billy Bragg, and contains images of Iraqi exiles in both Syria and Scotland. It's another chance to understand better what life is like for those living at the margins of society. Whilst at the museum I'm also going to check out the rest of the collections which contain information on all the world's major religions - the cross-cultural comparison of religion and ritual is often studied by anthropologists. The exhibition is open from 10.00 until 17.00 daily, and runs until the end of October - admission to the museum is FREE.





TUESDAY 1ST JULY - Tibet and the diaspora

I'll be down at the ICA in central London today for the start of a mini-season of films called 'Through an Exile Lens: Thoughts & Imaginings of Tibet'. The week-long collection of films includes pieces about young people growing up in Tibet, as well as various perspectives from those living in exile in India. It's interesting to the anthropologist because the subject matter revolves around people trying to create, or retain, a cultural identity in the face of state repression or ignorance, and therefore touches on all sorts of relevant issues from ethnicity to nationalism to religion. Particularly look out for 'Youth, Disapora and the Search for Identity' on later in the week, about several different young Tibetans living in India. If you're interested in the area, then you might also like to check out anthropologists Alan Macfarlane's website 'Digital Himalaya' - an online ethnographic record of the region.


WEDNESDAY 2ND JULY - Violence on the radio

Today I'll be listening again to Thinking Allowed which this week concentrated on the rituals and 'micro-dynamics' of violence. Speaking on the programme will be American sociologist Randall Collins who argues that humans are biologically predisposed away from violence and that it is in fact brought on by the situations they are caught up in. Since violence occurs in almost every society, anthropology has a strong interest in the whys and wherefores of the subject. Indeed, you can study it as a specialist degree, for example on the MA in Anthropology of Conflict,Violence and Conciliation at the University of Sussex. There are also several other web resources out there, for example this brief youtube discussion and this selection of writing. Peace out.

Diary for 19th June to 25th June 2008

THURSDAY 19TH JUNE - Painting Hull

We're half way through the annual Refugee Week at the moment, and since anthropology is often concerned with issues of migration, identity and cross-cultural difference there are a few events I'm going to highlight that should be worth attending. Starting today in Hull is 'The Land of Green Ginger', a participatory art project that aims to link refugees in the area with their 'host communities'. Over the course of three days, participants will collaborate to produce an artwork for the city, with the aim of also increasing their mutual understanding, and making plans for the future. As well as being an interesting exercise from the cross-cultural point of view, it is also notable for anthropologists because art is being used as a 'tool' for this communication. The event begins at 9.00 at the Paragon Station and the Central Library. You can find out more about Refugee Week and all the events taking place nationwide on their website.


FRIDAY 20TH JUNE - Imagining Iran

I'm afraid I'm a bit late on this one, but I thought the event worth mentioning anyway as there's still some related resources available online. The event in question was put on by the Iran Heritage Foundation at the University of St Andrews last week and comprised a conference, series of film screenings and a photographic exhibition looking at the Visual Representations of Iran. Although unfortunately the exhibition finished on the 18th June, several of the films are still available to view on the website, where you can also find out about upcoming events being organised by the IHF. Additionally, the photography exhibition that was on at the conference also exists as a book, and is a collection of images by Kaveh Golestan entitled 'Recording the Truth in Iran'. You can also read interesting academic abstracts on the website looking at issues of Persian identity. So whilst it's a shame I did not spot this event earlier, hopefully there is plenty of interesting stuff still online anyway.


SATURDAY 21ST JUNE - Refuge in film

Another Refugee Week installment today as I'll be checking out what this year's Refuge in Film film festival in London has to offer. A selection of films exploring issues of migration and refugees will be showing until Sunday, selected and presented by young people interested in and affected by those issues, in collaboration with the grassroots organisation Nueva Generacion. According to the current events page, on Saturday at the BFI there will be a combination of films and visual workshops, as well as a 16.30 screening of 'The Sahara is not for sale' at the Tricycle Theatre in Kilburn (tickets are £5), about the repression of the Saharawi people in Morocco.






SUNDAY 22ND JUNE - A day in Wales

Another reminder for the Wales Anthropology Day, which is now just under a week away. Places are still available for the day, being held at the University of Wales in Lampeter, which is made up of a series of workshops, talks and film screenings all designed to give an introduction to anthropology. Whether it's facial reconstruction, life in the army or Jamie's School Dinners - the topics covered are many and varied and should provide a great overview of the breadth of subject matter studied by anthropologists. The event is free to attend - for more information you need to email s.hurn@lamp.ac.uk, or otherwise just fill in the booking form online.





MONDAY 23RD JUNE - Getting in touch

As I mentioned on the blog a couple of week's ago, the relationship indigenous people have with the world at large has been in the news a lot recently, with an at times heated exchange raging between anthropologists, non-governmental organisations and just about everybody else about how these encounters should be viewed and represented. I came across an interesting article the other day which suggested that instead of emphasising the fact that these communities are 'uncontacted', we should rather try to understand their frequent struggles to retain control of their land and way of living from outside influences. At first such specific arguments may come across as a bit pedantic, but they are in fact vital to consider, especially given the current wave of questionable reality programmes in the media about indigenous peoples. It's an important debate, and a difficult one.



TUESDAY 24TH JUNE - Sharing out sameness

This evening I'll be heading down to the ICA in Central London for a talk by the French philosopher Luce Irigaray. She will be discussing some of the topics raised in her latest book, Sharing the World, many of which are highly relevant to anthropology. For example, she examines the idea of 'sameness' in western culture, and suggests that learning to co-exist with 'the other' as 'another' might be a more helpful way forward. The 'Other' is a concept commonly referred to in anthropology, and is a catch-all term used to describe how we represent those outside our society or direct community. The talk begins at 18.45 and tickets cost £9 for students. You may have trouble getting tickets, in which case returns are normally available - otherwise look out for another talk by Irigaray in September.





WEDNESDAY 25TH JUNE - No Man is an Island

I'm off to the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology today to look at a new exhibition of photographs by Australian artist Brook Andrew. 'The Island' is a collection of ethnographic photographs taken by early anthropologists, which Andrew has reinterpreted in the light of contemporary political and social concerns about the exploitation of indigenous peoples. The collection is made up of portraits and landscapes from the archives of several anthropological institutions. Moving away from discussions of how the images sterotype indigenous peoples, this collection aims to understand them at a different level, in terms of cultural identity, history and racial discrimination that lies therein. You can read an introduction to the photographs by anthropologist Nick Thomas as well as the artist here. The exhibition runs until 27th September, and entrance to the Museum of Archeology and Anthropology is FREE.