Diary for 17th September to 23rd September 2009

Lucy Special: The Royal Anthropological Institute's Annual General Meeting 2009




What is it?
The RAI's AGM meeting is an annual conference in which members and non-members of the RAI are able to meet award-winning anthropologists, find out about RAI activities, socialise with professors, students and fellow enthusiasts, and listen to the Curl lecture.

Who can attend?
The AGM meeting is open to anyone interested in anthropology and is free of charge.

Where is it taking place?
The RAI's AGM meeting will be held at the British Museum's Stevenson Lecture Theatre in the Clore Education Centre. For directions to the museum take a look here.

What time does it start?
The AGM meeting will start at 4:30pm. The agenda is as follows:
1. Minutes of the Annual General Meeting of 25th September 2008
2. Annual Report of the Council for 2008
3. Appointment of Auditors
4. Election of Officers and Council for the year 2009-2010
5. Announcement of elections of the Huxley Memorial Lecturer and Henry Myers Lecturer for 2010
6. Presentation of the Rivers Memorial Medial for 2009
7.Presentation of the two Lucy Mair Medals fro 2009
8. AOB


At 5:30pm there will be the Curl lecture given by Dr. Joost Fontein entitled: Graves, Ruins & Belonging: Towards an anthropology of proximity

Dr. Joost Fontein has undertaken extensive research in Zimbabwe. His research interests include anthropology of landscape, nationalism and the post colonial state, water and land reform. He currently teaches undergraduate and postgraduate courses in anthropology and African Studies at the University of Edinburgh.




What is special about the event?
Every year the RAI presents two very important awards to anthropologists who have made a significant contribution within and beyond the discipline. Their life stories and efforts in the field are incredibly interesting and awe-inspiring for anyone interested in how anthropology can make a difference to the social sciences and the world at large.



The first award is called the Rivers Memorial Medal. The Medal is given to an anthropologist for a recent body of work published over a period of five years which makes, as a whole, a significant contribution to social, physical or cultural anthropology or archaeology.


The 2009 Rivers Memorial Medal will be presented to Professor Wendy James. Professor James is a Fellow of the British Academy and a Professor of Social Anthropology at Oxford. She has undertaken extensive research in Africa (mainly in the Sudan and Ethiopia), and has published numerous publications on fieldwork, folklore, cultural history and relations between minorities and majorities in post-colonial states. For more information and a list of recent publications take a look here.



The second award is the Lucy Mair Medal. This medal is intended to honour the application of anthropology to the relief of poverty and distress, and to the active recognition of human dignity.

This year there will be two anthropologists who will receive the 2009 Lucy Mair Medal: Professor Tom Selwyn and Dr. John Palmer.


Dr.Tom Selwyn is a Professor of Anthropology, specialising in tourism at the London Metropolitan University. Until recently he was the director of two European Commission TEMPUS projects helping to promote and support tourism and cultural industries in Bethlehem, Palestine and in Bosnia-Herzegovina- both through a consortia of European universities. Professor Selwyn was also a member of the coordinating group of the MED-VOICES project which brought together a network of academics and activists to explore tourism and heritage across the Mediterranean.



Dr.John Palmer is a social anthropologist resident in the Chaco, northern Argentina, where he assists the indigenous people Wichi, in their continuing campaign to regain their land-rights. His La voluntad Wichí was published in 2006. His work was recently presented by Simon Reeve in his BBC documentary Tropic of Capricorn. Dr. Palmer and Professor Jeremy MacClancy (Oxford Brookes) support the work of the Oxford-based international organisation Chacolinks, which help the Wichi in their struggle.

The descriptions here are just a glimpse into the fascinating lives of these award-winning anthropologists. The AGM meeting is a chance to meet them, as well as other professors, students, RAI staff and other enthusiasts of the discipline.


Hope to see you there!

Diary for 10th September to 16th September 2009

Thursday 10th September- University Encore

How many of you would go back to university and enroll as an undergraduate student after being a professor for nearly two decades? Anthropology Professor Cathy Small decided to do so after she realized that she was no longer able to understand or connect to her students. In an attempt to bridge the gap, she decided to enroll as an undergraduate student and follow contemporary college life for a year. Dr. Small has written her experiences and findings under the pseudo name of Rebekah Nathan in an ethnography entitled ' My freshman year: what a professor learned by becoming a student'. To find out more about the book, take a look at this review.




Friday 11th September- Durham embraces Zen

University of Durham's Anthropology Department is having a very interesting guest lecture tonight from 20:15-21:30 at Elvet Riverside, Room 140. The speaker's name is Brad Warner. Brad is a Soto Zen priest, author, blogger and punk rock bass guitarist. Brad spent numerous years living and working in Japan and has blended his interests and experience into three books 'Hardcore Zen' 'Sit Down and Shut Up' and ' Zen wrapped in Karma Dipped in Chocolate'. To find out more about the guest lecture email: jan.deruiter@durham.ac.uk



Saturday 12th September - Food adventures

Many people know Borough market as the market to go to in London in order to sample delicacies from around the world as well as locally grown and sustainable food. This Saturday I am going to explore the Broadway Market which starts from London Fields and goes all the way down to Regent's Canal. There are all sorts of culinary delights from English, French, Caribbean and African cuisines. Interestingly, there is a shop called called Fred Cooke which sells Jelly Eels since 1900s which I will be sure to visit! Take a virtual tour of the market and find out more about what is offered from this website.




Sunday 13th September- AAA Photo competition

The American Anthropological Association is hosting an international photo contest. Current members of the AAA are eligible to send in photographs of any anthropological subject. Entries will be accepted until October 1st 2009 and photographs will be judged for their technical quality, composition and relationship to anthropological work. For submission guidelines, prizes and further details take a look here.




Monday 14th September- World Music Online

The British Library has recently launched new traditional and world music collections online. The collections feature unique field recordings, live performances, and out-of-print commercial releases. The sound archive can be accessed through the following website: http://sounds.bl.uk . For those of you interested in learning more about music from an anthropological lenses, take a look at this page which has various ethnomusicology links to find out more about this specialist area in anthropology.



Tuesday 15th September- In Darwin's Footsteps

Running from the 5th September till 31st January 2010, is a brilliant new exhibit at the Manchester Museum called 'In Darwin's Footsteps'. The exhibit showcases the work of conservationist and wildlife photographer Ben Hall, who has taken photographs of landscapes and wildlife of South America which Darwin explored in his own travels. The exhibition is part of a series of events and talks that are taking place at the museum in celebration of Darwin200. Take a look at some of Ben's stunning work here.




Wednesday 16th September- Hair Art

Next time you go to the barbers or hair salon for a trim, take a look at all the locks that are on the floor. What happens to them? Does most of this hair just go on in the bin? Or does it go to charities which help to make wigs for cancer patients? Perhaps some of it ends up as Art?. In the free Metro newspaper was an article about a barber in China who is making representations of cultural buildings out of the loose cuttings he's received from his clients. Some might think this a novel way of treating hair but in the 18th and 19th centuries hair was also used to make amulets and locks as jewelry. Take a look at this website for more information on hair jewelry.

Diary for 3rd September to 9th September 2009

THURSDAY 3rd September- The comfort of things

If you had to choose objects in your house which were the most significant to you and your life, what would you choose and why? In our capitalist frenzied world are the things we collect just an extension of our egos or our need to fit in? or do they represent something more significant? Today I am heading to the bookstore to look at the new ethnography by professor Daniel Miller called 'The comfort of things'. Daniel Miller is an anthropologist who specialises in teaching and researching material culture at UCL. The book is the result of research he conducted on a single street in London. Dr. Miller and his researchers asked residents of a particular street to discuss the stories, histories and significance of certain objects they hold dear to them in their houses. For anyone interested in material culture this is a fascinating read! If you are interested in learning more about material culture take a look at this website.



FRIDAY 4th September- Extended deadline for cartoon competition

The RAI has received numerous requests to extend the deadline of its International Anthropology Cartoon Contest. The new deadline for submissions is 10th November 2009 The contest is open to anyone interested and passionate about anthropology. The contest is looking for cartoons that explore anthropological ideas in a comical, original and engaging way. Examples of possible subjects to explore include: human evolution, fossil discoveries, forensics, cultural traditions, ceremonies and rituals, beauty and fashion, fieldwork, tourism and Facebook. For more details, submission guidelines and regulations visit: www.therai.org.uk/education/education or email education@therai.org.uk.



SATURDAY 5th September- Bristish Science Festival

Today marks the opening of this year's British Science Festival. The British Science Festival is the biggest science festival in Europe. Every year it attracts thousands of visitors to enjoy science activities, lectures, presentations and films for anyone interested in learning more about science. This year the festival is being held at the University of Surrey in Guilford. The festival runs from the 5th- 10th September. Most events are free or marginal cost. Take a look at the online programme for more details.



SUNDAY 6th September- Exquisite Bodies

I would assume that most of us who are not studying anatomy and are in a relatively healthy condition, rarely think of our internal organs and the complex activities that take place within our bodies . Today I am heading to the Welcome Collection to take a look at life size wax figures whose bodies have been cross sectioned in order to see internal organs , and in some cases lifelike representations of what happens to a body when it is attacked by diseases such as tuberculosis, alcohol and drug addiction. The models were used in the 19th century for medical teaching purposes. For more information about events, activities and videos accompanying the exhibit take a look here. The exhibit will run until the 18th of October 2009.




MONDAY 7th September - Art, Anthropology and Neuroscience

Between the 7th-19th September a multi-disciplinary exhibit entitled Brain Unravelled will be taking place at UCL's Slade Research Centre in Wolborn Square. The exhibit will incorporate art, photography, mixed media, sculpture, textiles, films, talks and events. The exhibit takes a unique approach to exploring the human brain and in particular human consciousness. Amonst people contributing to the exhibit are Antony Gormley, anthropologist Chris Knight, as well as Brian Butterworth, Chris Firth and many more. Take a look at this website for further details.



TUESDAY 8th September- Interested in anthropological research in London?

FiLo presentations by anthropologists Daniel Miller and John is a growing network of anthropologists who are undergoing fieldwork in London. If you are a student of anthropology or are interested in learning about anthropological research taking place in London, you may wish to take part in their workshop that is taking place on 18th September 2009, at iCES in Regents College. The workshop will include keynote talks by anthropologists John Eade and Daniel Miller, as well as poster presentations by FiLo members, discussion of future Filo projects, and a guided walk of central London. For more information and registration email:filo.network@gmail.com or visit the Filo's website.

WEDNESDAY 9th September- Ethknowcentrix

Tomorrow, a unique exhibition entitled 'Ethnowcentrix- Museums Inside the Artist' will open at the October Gallery in London. The exhibit will feature the work of four leading artists from New Zealand and Pacific Islands. Using mixed media and performance work, the artists challenge historical perceptions of the Pacific Islands and the ways in which aspects of their culture have been displayed and classified in museums across Europe and North America. Take a look here for museum opening times and admission details.

Diary for 15th to 26th August 2009

APOLOGIES!
Lucy sincerely apologises for the delay in posting this, but has been in the wilds of the German wine regions of the Rhine valley. She is currently undertaking necessary research on the Riesling wine and brautwerscht. She will be back in full force after the 27th with some great anthropological events and goodies for you. Filen Danke! Chuuus!

Diary for 6th August to 12th August 2009

THURSDAY 6th August- It's so Cool, It's Hot!

Today I am heading to an Argentinian ice-cream parlor in London called Freggo which on 27-29 Swallow street in Piccadilly. Italian immigrants that settled in Argentina, most likely started spreading their love for their artisan gelato making and now it has expanded to appease an international market. Freggo isn't cheap but the fact that it has alternative ice cream flavours, provides big portions and is open until 2am makes it a unique sweet stop.





FRIDAY 7th August- Highlights from the LIDF 2009

Tonight I am going to the British Museum's Stevenson Lecture Theatre to see two wonderful films from this year's London International Documentary Film Festival. The first film is called Bus Lovers and explores in 12 short minutes, why some people in Sao Paulo have a passion for buses. The second film is longer (46 min) and is called Cruzeiro. This film explores the lives of four youth living in Vila Cruzeiro, one of the most violent slums in Rio De Janeiro. The screening session starts at 6:30pm. Tickets are £3 or £2 for concessions. For more information and booking details, click here.



SATURDAY 8th August- RAI's International Anthropology Cartoon Contest

We have received some wonderful submissions to the RAI's International Cartoon Contest. The summer is a great time to get your drawing book out and go to the park and be creative! The cartoon contest is open to anyone with a passion for anthropology. Topics that could be explored include: human evolution, fossil discoveries, forensics, cultural traditions, ceremonies and rituals, beauty and fashion, fieldwork, tourism, and Facebook. For a list of prizes, submission guidelines, and regulations, visit: www.therai.org.uk/education






SUNDAY 9th August - LIDF 2010 Call for films

For all of you filmmakers out there, the London International Documentary Film Festival has already put out a call for submissions for next year's festival. The festival is international, open to any genre of film making, and any subject matter. The only catch is that submitted films must be produced after January 1st 2008. Take a look here for more information. If you are particularly interested in visual anthropology and would like to learn how to become a ethnographic filmmaker, Goldsmiths and University of Manchester have some excellent courses.




MONDAY 10th August- Challenging preconceptions of disability

Today I am going to the Foundling Museum to look at an exhibition called In the Picture. Disabled children are more often than not, excluded from children's books and illustrations. Scope, a charity working for the equality of disabled children throughout the UK, has received Lottery funding to help address the current lack of representation of disabled children in literature. The exhibition features work from children book illustrators Quentin Blake, Jane Ray and others. Entrance to the exhibition is free with museum admission.






TUESDAY 11th August- A brilliant ethnography

I have just finished a wonderful ethnography called Tunnel Kids by Lawrence Taylor and Maeve Hickey. Lawence and Maeve spend several summers getting to know a group of children who live primarily in the tunnels connecting the US-Mexico border. The book uses profiles and pictures to get the reader to identify with each of the characters and find out how group dynamics reinforce their culture, livelihoods, and group cohesion. It is excellent for anyone beginning their journey in anthropology.








WEDNESDAY 12th August- Digital Library

UNESCO has a fantastic World Digital Library where you can access archival and modern pictures from around the world. The material is searchable by topic, type of item, institution or place. Each thumbnail photograph has crucial information on the history, creation and cultural context of the picture. It is an excellent resource for teaching history, anthropology, geography and other social sciences.

Diary for 30th July to 5th August 2009

Thursday 30th July- A fantastic anthropology library!

Today I am heading to the British Museum to go to one of the most extensive anthropological libraries in London. The Centre for Anthropology is located at the back entrance of the British Museum. It holds more than 120,000 books and 4,000 journals and very large picture collection. Every aspect of anthropology is covered: biological anthropology, material culture, forensics, anthropology of tourism, to name but a few. The collection also spans the whole world but has particularly strong coverage of the Commonwealth and the Americas. The library is open to the public for reference and research purposes. For more information and opening hours take a look here.


Friday 31st July - An anthropological approach to dealing with street crime

David Kennedy is a Professor in the anthropology department of John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. Through his fieldwork and ethnographic research Kennedy has come up with an innovative programme called Ceasefire to decrease street crime. His programme has been taken up in Scotland with positive results. According to this article in the Guardian, Ceasefire is unique in that it calls for cross-disciplinary collaboration between social workers, educators, police, professionals and academics, as well as evoking a policy in which an entire gang has to face consequences of a single member's actions. To find out more about Kennedy's work take a look at this article he wrote for the Washington Post.




Saturday 1st August- Glazed America

Doughnuts- everyone loves them... Homer Simpson, police, my family. Doughnuts have entered American culture in a variety of ways: as food, as comedic elements to characters in visual media, as symbols of unhealthy lifestyles, or brands for corporate marketing campaigns. Anthropologist Paul Mullins has taken analysis of these deep fried goodies to an unprecedented level. In his recent book Glazed America, Mullins looks at the social, economic and cultural history of the doughnut in America, and reflects on the ways in which the dougnut industry and consumption patterns are connected to nationalism, migration in cities and food pathways. Take a look at Mullins video to find out what inspired him to write his book.

Sunday 2nd August- A glimpse at ethnographic fieldwork

What exactly is fieldwork? what do anthropologists do when they are out in the field and how do they go about doing it? While browsing anthropology films on YouTube I came across an excellent film produced for MIT's Anthropology Programme. The film is called Doing Anthropology and it follows the journeys of three anthropologists as they explore various research topics: Haitian social services in the US, artisan cheesemaking and Marine Biology, and take part in fieldwork. The film gives a very good indication of what participant observation is about, problems of representation and what fieldwork allows anthropologists to discover in order to add depth to their research.

Monday 3rd August- RAI's New Facebook Group

The RAI's Education Outreach Programme has just launched a new Facebook group called Discover Anthropology. Anyone can join the group (as long as they are already on Facebook, if not you will have to join Facebook in order to become a member). The aims of the group are to update people on upcoming RAI activities, competitions, and publications and more importantly, to encourage people to share their own anthropological ideas, projects and events and keep the RAI informed of their activities in order to increase collaboration. If you are on Facebook already, come and join us and be part of this growing anthropology outreach network! We would appreciate your help in spreading the news of this Facebook group and forwarding this message to any of your friends, colleagues or students who might be interested in joining.

Tuesday 4th August- Teaching through photography

Today I am heading to the Pitt Rivers Museum to see a photographic exhibition of Central Asia. The photographs have been taken by award winning photographer Carolyn Drake. The exhibition takes a particular look at Carolyn's documentary work in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Carolyn has done work which has been supported and recognised by international organisations such as UNICEF and National Geographic. She has a wonderful photographic essay which you can see here, which takes a look at life in the Ukraine. Her ability to capture unique moments of what it means to be human, makes her work particularly interesting to anthropologists.

Wednesday 5th August- Chimps: endangered in the wild

According to Anthropologist Micheal Wilson, there are many factors that may be influencing the decline of chimpanzees in the wild: hunting, loss of habitat, or disease. A recent study has found a striking similarity between a virus that is currently suspected to be killing chimpanzees at an alarming rate, and the virus that first infected humans with HIV. 'The discovery of the disease may help doctors come up with better treatments or a workable vaccine for humans'. To find out more about the study and Wilson's work take a look at this article.

Diary for 23rd July to 29th July 2009

THURSDAY 23rd July- A photo montage...

This year's London Anthropology Day was a great success! Over 300 participants attended the day, making it the largest LAD to date. Lecturers from sixteen British universities conducted interactive workshops ranging from visual anthropology, forensics, music and dance, human evolution, and material culture. The RAI has recently posted pictures of the day. Take a look at this website: http://www.flickr.com/photos/raieducation to see the picture gallery. For those of you who were not able to book a place this year, bookings open in April for next year's event so make sure you register well in advance!


FRIDAY 24th July - Broadcast Your Being

Have you ever wanted to shout something at the top of your lungs, dress like a cow to support charity, or create a living history of a shared space ? If you have been walking by Trafalgar Square recently you may have noticed the living 'statues' that are on the fourth plinth of the square. Antony Gormley who decided to pursue art after studying anthropology is perhaps one of the most cutting edge artists in Britain. His new project is called One and Other. The concept is simple: people from all walks of life are able to sign up and are given an hour slot in which they can stand on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square and do anything they want (as long as it's legal). What is mind blowing is that this is happening 24hrs a day for 100 days. There are only 2400 places available and yet 28,377 people have signed up and are now waiting to see if they will be amongst the lucky ones. Take a look at this fantastic website. You can get profiles of the participants who have taken part, the background of the project and the inspiration behind Gormley's idea. Why not have a go yourself?




SATURDAY 25th July - Starting out in anthropology

If you have no previous background in anthropology and would like to start learning about the subject but aren't willing or able to do an undergraduate degree, perhaps an access course would best suit your needs. City Lit which specialises in adult education in London, provides various access courses in anthropology. One of the courses starting this September is called Ways into anthropology. The course aims to give a general overview of what anthropology is about as well as get students to critically approach understanding other societies. To find out more details about the course take a look here.



SUNDAY 26th July- Anthropological humour

Humour is one of the best ways to promote appreciation and engagement in a subject. For those of you who like a challenge, want to be creative and find humour in everyday life, the Royal Anthropological Institute is hosting an International Anthropology Cartoon Competition. The aim is to get anyone who is passionate about anthropology to think outside the box, and have fun exploring anthropological ideas and topics in new and interesting ways. Topics that you could look at could include: human evolution, cultural traditions, ceremonies, material culture, museums, and 2nd life. For more information and submission details visit: www.therai.org/education





MONDAY 27th July- Religious theme parks

The other day I rented a documentary called Religulous directed by Larry Charles (who also directed Bruno and Borat). In the film, comedian and religious sceptic Bill Maher travels to Jerusalem, Egypt, London, Amsterdam and the United States, in order to explore why people believe in Christianity, Islam or Judaism and what purpose religion serves in their lives. He talks to self professed messiahs, atheists, extremists, politicians, and academics. One of the aspects which Bill highlights in the film are commercial industries which are associated with or exist n the name of religion. Perhaps one of the most bizarre examples is a religious theme park in Orlando, Florida called Holy Land. The theme park includes singers, dancers, religious scholars, artifacts and robots which reenact life in ancient Jerusalem and specific passages of the bible for tourists. For those interested in the anthropology of religion I think the theme park would be an excellent ethnographic fieldwork site. Although Bill is not an anthropologist the film provides excellent food for thought for those of you who are curious to know why people believe in certain faiths.

TUESDAY 28th July- Paintings fit for royalty

Today I am heading over to the British Museum to see an exhibition of royal paintings from Jodphur which are displayed for the first time in Europe. The paintings give a glimpse of what life was like in the royal courts of Jodhpur during the 17th and 19th centuries. The paintings demonstrate a unique art tradition that flourished under the patronage of the Maharaja and his court. The artwork includes scenes of the palaces, wives and families of the Jodhpur rules, as well as images expressing metaphysical concepts and yoga narratives. The exhibition is part of the British Museum's special Indian Summer series of events and activities focused on India. For more information as well as ticket prices take a look here.

WEDNESDAY 29th July- The truth is out there..

For those of you with a passion for visual anthropology and film you may want to register now for the upcoming documentary film festival taking place in Sheffield between the 4th-8th November. The festival has been running for 15 consecutive years. It aims to provide an international arena in which people within the documentary industry come together to share ideas, develop new programmes, products and services, and learn form each others' wealth of talent and expertise. Take a look at the festival's website for numerous activities, workshops and ways to get involved both before and during the event.