2010 American Anthropological Association Meeting/ Society for Visual Anthropology

*”Perception, Production and Circulation: Sensory Ethnography through Media”*

Session Abstract:
This panel is organized by graduate students at Harvard University’s Sensory
Ethnography Lab in conjunction with the launch of a new academic journal of
sensory ethnography. Selected projects/papers will have the opportunity to
be published in the first edition of the Journal of Sensory Ethnography
(working title).

Through this panel we aim to recognize and problematize the relationship
between theoretical abstraction and material concreteness, to reimagine the
relationship between sensing, knowing, and thinking, and to reexamine the
implications of this for ethnographic media. “Sensory ethnography” holds
promises of engaged scholarship that explores the evocative and
representative, the affective and effective, the feeling and the meaning of
salient features of everyday life. Read more »

This panel for the 2010 AAA seeks to explore the ways in which contemporary aesthetic practices are interpreted and valued - where value is broadly construed. Labels such as contemporary, modern, fine, gallery, investment, high, blue chip, insider and so forth for art are all problematic in one way or another - we seek to investigate the various cultural dynamics that give rise to these categories.  We are particularly interested in aesthetic policies, practices and goods that might be used in the service of economic projects; the “value” and valuation of fine arts; and the ways in which aesthetics might underpin various facets of political economy.

Please send inquiries and abstracts to Susan Falls at sfalls@scad.edu

No longer unsecure about their aesthetic sensibilities, contemporary ethnographers have expanded upon the established tradition of impressionistic and confessional fieldwork to produce works that not only stimulate the intellect, but that also delight the senses. From visual to reflexive ethnography, from narrative to arts-based inquiry, from hypertext to multimodal scholarship, and from autoethnography to performance ethnography, fieldwork has undergone a revolution in data collection practice and strategies of representation and dissemination. Innovative ethnography is a catalytic field of experimentation and reflection, innovation and revelation, transformation and call to action.

The new Routledge Innovative Ethnographies book series publishes fieldwork that appeals to new and traditional audiences of scholarly research through the use of new media and new genres. Combining the book and multimedia material hosted on the series website, this series challenges the boundaries between ethnography and documentary journalism, between the scholarly essay and the novel, between academia and drama. From the use of narrative and drama to the use of reflexivity and pathos, from the contextualization of ethnographic documentation in felt textures of place to the employment of artistic conventions for the sake of good writing, this series entertains, enlightens, and educates.

Series editor: Phillip Vannini, Royal Roads University, Canada

Contact: phillip.vannini@royalroads.ca

The Faculty of Arts at the University of British Columbia invites applications for up to 15 Postdoctoral Teaching Fellows, to begin 1 July 2010. These positions enable innovative and collaborative teaching between Fellows and outstanding UBC professors.  The program will help to launch the careers of new scholars showing early promise as excellent university teachers and researchers. Each Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow will have opportunities to interact with UBC colleagues on teaching and research, as well as to be part of a cohort of early-career scholars sharing methods and exchanging ideas for excellent teaching.

One of the new Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow positions has been allocated to the UBC Department of Anthropology, which has strengths in a broad range of areas in anthropological archaeology; sociocultural anthropology (including medical and linguistic anthropology); and museum and visual anthropology (see http://www.anth.ubc.ca ). We invite applications from outstanding candidates in the areas of museum and/or visual anthropology. Depending on their area of specialization, the successful candidate will have access to the collections and research facilities of the new Centre for Cultural Research at the Museum of Anthropology (http://www.moa.ubc.ca ) and/or the Ethnographic Film Unit within the Department of Anthropology ( http://anthfilm.anth.ubc.ca/ ). Read more »

2010 American Anthropological Association Annual Meeting
November 17-21, 2010, New Orleans, LA

Paper abstracts are invited for this panel to be submitted to the Society for Cultural Anthropology (SCA)

DUE DATE: Tuesday, March 9, 2010. 
Panel Organizers: Rebecca L. Carter, Ph.D. Candidate, University of Michigan (rlcart@umich.edu)  and Jessica Robbins, Ph.D. Candidate, University of Michigan (jessro@umich.ed

Panel Description: “Keeping Time Alive: Rhythms of Memory and Meaning in Person and Place”
There is an inherent temporality to circulation, evident in the rhythm and cadence that accompanies the movement of people, other organisms, materials, and ideas. As these movements permeate through space and place, their temporality also extends. Patterns and processes of circulation are themselves inherently transitional; embedded in time, and bringing about change in self and society.

In this panel we focus on memory, exploring the temporal dimensions through which memory is generated, circulated, and sustained (or erased). What are the mechanisms and vehicles that carry memory and meaning forward? What are the rhythms inherent to these movements? Who directs these process and how? Finally, how do these circulations “keep time alive,” connecting people to the past, present, and future as well as to larger social and political institutions, structures, and agendas? Read more »

The deadline for consideration as a SVA invited session is coming up! Invited paper/poster session proposals must be submitted by email to the SVA Program Chairs by March 1, 2010.

2010 SVA Program Chairs:
Jenny Chio (Jenny.Chio@uts.edu.au)
Stephanie Takaragawa (takaraga@chapman.edu)

The benefits of invited status include: 1) guaranteed acceptance into the program (no waiting until August!); 2) priority consideration for the more “desirable” time slots during the meeting; and 3) promotion within the program as an invited session. Read more »

We are seeking papers for an interdisciplinary panel on “Aesthetic Representations of Political Violence” to be presented at the 2010 meetings of the American Anthropological Association in New Orleans, Nov. 17-21, 2010.

Representations of political violence are often created and resurrected in various aesthetic forms to further particular social, political or economic across times and place. For example, theatrical performances or artistic creations romanticizing past violence can be used to normalize certain types of violent displays within the viewing community. The aesthetic forms that these representations take are often essential to creating an emotionally compelling narrative to galvanize the audience to adopt a particular perspective relating to local, national, or global issues. These representations also allow viewers a space to negotiate alternative interpretations of the depicted violence and its current relevance.

Please submit an abstract by March 10, 2010, to Jennifer Schlegel (jschlege@kutztown.edu) or Kim Shively (shively@kutztown.edu). Read more »

Workshop in Ethnographic Filmmaking with Judith and David MacDougall

AARHUS UNIVERSITY SUMMER SCHOOL, Denmark, AUGUST 20-26, 2010
Level: BA
Credits:10 ECTS
Lecturers: David and Judith MacDougall
Organizer: Christian Suhr
Number of participants max. 12
Application deadline: April 15, 2010
http://www.aal.au.dk/en/antro/studies/summer2010/home

The Aarhus University Summer School in visual anthropology is an intensive course designed for Danish and international students interested in a brief but challenging educational experience during the summer.

The course is open to students in anthropology and related disciplines from Denmark and elsewhere and is intended for people with no or little previous experience with filmmaking. The language of teaching is English. Read more »

NEW DOCUMENTARY FILM COURSES IN OXFORD OPEN TO EVERYONE

.    for research purposes,
.    as an AV addenda for a thesis or publication,
.    for screening at a film festival,
.    for personal use
.    for work purposes
.    for internet distribution,
.    for educational use,
.    for basic skills in digital media,
.    as an introduction to factual filmmaking,

The Oxford Academy of Documentary Film will be running short courses in
Oxford at St. Clare’s International College, 139 Banbury Rd, Oxford

*5-Day Workshop Before You Go: Introduction to documentary filmmaking
(hands-on camera skills) with Final Cut Express 4.0*
Dates: 15 — 19 February 2010
Time: 9am-5pm, Mon-Fri (5 days) Fees: £550 (Concessions £450)

*3-Week Intensive Foundation Course in Documentary Film- 4 days a week*
Dates: 8 - 26 March 2010
Time: TBC (4 days per week) Fees: £950 (Concessions £850)

Please visit http://www.oadf.co.uk for more information and application
form or contact alison (at) oadf.co.uk

New Orleans, November 17-21, 2010

Dear Society for Visual Anthropology members,

As your program chairs for the 2010 Annual Meeting, we’d like to
remind you of the following upcoming deadlines and encourage everyone
to submit!  We are here to answer questions and provide advice on the
process, as necessary, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch
(Jenny.Chio@uts.edu.au and takaraga@chapman.edu). Read more »