Talking Anthropology

This podcast provides an interview with Dr. Dan Rabinowitz from the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Tel-Aviv University and was recorded by Norma Deseke at the 12th European Association of Social Anthropologists conference in Nanterre, Paris in July 2012. We talked about EASA´s development, the recent protests in and changes of Israeli society and anthropology´s tradition in the region as well as the discipline´s challenges. Dan shared his experiences of how he came to be an anthropologist and provides some advice for students considering a PhD in anthropology. Dan is interested in ethnicity and nationalism, environment and society, globalisation and transnationalism, identity, ethnography, housing and housing co-operatives, the Palestinian citizens of Israel, Palestinians, Islamic movements, Israeli society and Middle East Politics; Bedouins and places such as Nazareth and Sinai. Further talks recorded at EASA provide interviews with Helena Wulff, Professor at the University of Stockholm and Prof. Henrietta L. Moore from Cambridge University. For more information about EASA please check our http://www.easaonline.org/.

This podcast provides an interview with Professor Helena Wulff from the University of Stockholm, Sweden and was recorded by Norma Deseke at the 12th European Association of Social Anthropologists conference in Nanterre, Paris in July 2012. We talked about the meaning of the EASA conference theme “Uncertainty and Disquiet” and the tradition of anthropology in Sweden. Central to the talk is Helena´s approach to writing and she provides some advice to develop strategies and techniques for the improvement of one´s own texts. We touched on issues concerning the handling of critique and the tension between the creative potential of crisis and increased competition due to shrinking funding opportunities. Helena Wulff´s research is in the anthropology of communication and aesthetics based on a wide range of studies on the social worlds of literary production, dance, and visual arts. Her specialist skills are in expressive cultural form (dance, art, images, and text) in a transnational perspective, visual culture, the emotions, and media as well as anthropological methods. Helena has held visiting professorships at the University of Ulster, the University of Vienna, the National University of Singapore, and the University of Illinois. Drawing on her research, she also occasionally writes popular articles for newspapers and magazines in Sweden and the UK. Helena has conducted field studies in Stockholm, London, New York, Frankfurt-am-Main, and Ireland (mostly Dublin). Her current research is on writing and literature as cultural process and form focusing on contemporary Irish writers as cultural translators and public intellectuals. Further talks recorded at the EASA conference provide interviews with Henrietta L. Moore, Professor at Cambridge University and Dan Rabinowitz from Tel Aviv University. For more information about EASA please check our http://www.easaonline.org/.

This episode is another non regular one and comes from the University of Manchester Group for Debates in Anthropological Theory (GDAT). The motion to be debated is: The concept of neoliberalism has become an obstacle to the anthropological understanding of the twenty-first century. The motion will be proposed by James Laidlaw (Cambridge) and Jonathan Mair (Cambridge and Manchester). It will be opposed by Thomas Hylland Eriksen (Oslo) and Keir Martin (Manchester). THE IDEA The Group for Debates in Anthropological Theory (GDAT) aims to generate stimulating discussions on anthropological theory through a debate format. The first debate was held in 1988 in Manchester, and the debates became an annual fixture after that. Following a break of 8 years between 1999 and 2007, the annual debate was revived in 2008 with financial support from Critique of Anthropology. For those of you who have not attended previous debates, the format is as follows. A motion is proposed for debate. Two speakers argue for the motion and two against the motion. Each speaker is given 20 minutes. After a short break, everyone reassembles for questions and general discussion. Finally the motion is put to vote by a show of hands.

This interview with Professor Henrietta L. Moore from the University of Cambridge is the first of three episodes that were produced by Norma Deseke at the 12th conference of the European Association of Social Anthropologists in Nanterre, Paris in July 2012. Further talks recorded at EASA provide interviews with Helena Wulff, Professor at the University of Stockholm and Dan Rabinowitz from Tel Aviv University. For more information about EASA please see the official website on http://www.easaonline.org/. Professor Henrietta L. Moore talks about the meaning of the EASA conference theme “Uncertainty and Disquiet”, the tradition of the discipline in the UK and anthropology´s contemporary challenges. We touch on issues concerning the decline of funding, increasing protests and pressures of mobility as well as open access approaches, such as the HAU Journal of Ethnographic Theory (http://www.haujournal.org/index.php/hau). Professor Moore gives us her perspective on theoretical avenues pivotal to the discipline and her criteria for good anthropology and well-written ethnographies. She will also talk about the reasons for her long-term fascination for anthropology and give young anthropologists some advice for their academic career. Henrietta L. Moore FBA is the William Wyse Chair of Social Anthropology at the University of Cambridge. She is one of the leading theorists of gender in the social sciences and her work has developed a distinctive approach to the analysis of the interrelations of material and symbolic gender systems, embodiment and performance, and identity and sexuality. She has worked extensively in Africa, particularly on gender, livelihood strategies, social transformation and symbolic systems. Recent research has focused on virtual worlds, new technologies and the relationship between self-imagining and globalisation. She is a Fellow of the British Academy, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and Academician of the Learned Societies for the Social Sciences. Her most recent book, Still Life: Hopes, Desires and Satisfactions (2011), argues for a reconsideration of globalisation based on ordinary people’s capacities for self–making and social transformation. Please see Professor Moore´s website on http://www.henriettalmoore.com.  

In dieser Sendung spreche ich mit Univ.-Prof. Dr. Ulrike Felt über die spannende Disziplin der Wissenschaftsforschung. Die Sendung gibt einen sehr guten Einblick in das Spannungsverhältnis zwischen Wissenschaft, Gesellschaft und Politik. Ich wünsche lehrreiche Unterhaltung und freue mich über Kommentare, E-Mails und Flattr-Klicks!   Referenzen: Felt, Ulrike; Nowotny, Helga and Taschwer, Klaus (1995) ‘Wissenschaftsforschung. Eine Einführung’ (Frankfurt am Main/New York: Campus). Felt, Ulrike; Nowotny, Helga (Hrsg) (1995) ‘Social Studies of Science in an International Perspective / Wissenschaftsforschung: Themen und Fragestellungen einer in Österreich neuen Disziplin, Proceedings of a Workshop (University of Vienna, 13-14 January 1994)’ (Wien: Institut für Wissenschaftstheorie und Wissenschaftsforschung, Universität Wien). Latour, Bruno; Woolgar, Stève (1979) ‘Laboratory Life: The Construction of Scientific Facts’ (Princeton University Press). Knorr Cetina, Karin (1981) ‘The Manufacture of Knowledge: An Essay on the Constructivist and Contextual Nature of         Science’ (Oxford: Pergamon Press). Nowotny, Helga; Scott, Peter; Gibbons, Michael (2001) ‘Rethinking science: knowledge in an age of uncertainty’ (Cambridge: Polity). Fleck, Ludwik; Schäfer, Lothar; Schnelle, Thomas (Hrsg.) (1980) ‘Entstehung und Entwicklung einer wissenschaftlichen Tatsache: Einführung in die Lehre vom Denkstil und Denkkollektiv’ (Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp). Wiener Institut für Wissenschaftsforschung  WP: Wissenschaftsforschung WP: Mode 2 Weltgesundheitsorganisation Project OPUS besprochenes Projekt zur Nano-Wissenschaft und österreichischer Gesellschaft Institutsseite Ulrike Felt Homepage von Helga Nowotny WP: Adipositas WP: Cern WP: Grüne Gentechnik WP: Ludwik Fleck WP: Karin Knorr-Cetina WP: Helga Nowotny

Internet Café in Ghana Jenna Burrell is Assistant Profesor at the School of Information in Berkley and recently wrote a book about Internet Cafes in Ghana. During her seven year on-and-off fieldwork, she focused on the interesting topic of spamming and internet scams from youth groups in these african internet cafesy. In this interview we take a look at the klischees against african internet users and how they acted as a self full filling prophecies that lead to the widespread of internet scams in Ghana. The internet is not so global and egalitarian after all, if live in the wrong place.     Referenzen: Jenna Burrell. 2012. Invisible Users: Youth in the Internet Caf’s of Urban Ghana (Acting with Technology). MIT Press. this book on amazon Audio Recording from Jenna about her book Video from Jenna about her book Jenna’s blog Jenna on twitter @jennaburrell Jenna’s CV the blog All Africa  undersea cable map homepage for the book WP: Network Neutrality WP: Internet Fraud Ethnography Matters blogpost about Ethnography Matters on the school of information blog TA19 – African Hackerspaces interview with programmer from Ushahidi UPDATE: a good explanation of the global distribution of internet access can one find in this comprehensive ARTE Video (german):

Gemeinsam mit meinem Freund und Podcast-Kollegen Daniel Meßner habe ich mir die Zeit genommen ein bisschen über die Bedeutung unseres Podcast Hobbys zu philosophieren. Wir sprechen über unsere Motivationen und Erfahrungen rund um das Senden ins Internet.   Mit dieser Episode will ich auch auf meine alternativen Produktionen hinweisen und einen Schlussstrich für die Netzpolitik und Netzkultur in diesem Kanal ziehen. Es soll hier nicht mehr um Themen gehen, die nicht einen anthropologischen oder wissenschaftlichen Bezug haben. Für Hörer_innen, die diese Themen geschätzt haben, gibt es von nun an den neuen Kanal Netzkinder.at.           Referenzen: Podcasts Stammtisch Jeder 3. Mittwoch im Monat ab 19.00 im WerkzeugH Wien TA31 – Trolling Researcht – Podcast Episode gemeinsam mit Daniel Meßner Netzkinder – Podcast und  Community Blog zur Netzkultur und Netzpolitik aus Österreich Initiative für Netzfreiheit – Österreichische Netzpolitik NGO aether.fm – Plattform zu kulturwissenschaftlichen Fragestellungen, und Wissen zu zeitgemäßen Themen in Form von digitalen Radiosendungen. signal.hackerspaces – Radio Projekt der Hackerspaces Bewegung Radio Orange o94 – freies Radio aus Wien Stimmen der Kulturwissenschaften – Podcast-Interviewreihe mit Kultur- wissenschaftlerInnen und HistorikerInnen. Talking Anthropology – Anthropologischer Wissenschafts Podcast Kolumnen – Gespräche über Medien Hörensagen – Konzeptloser Gesprächspodcast Podcast BarCamp – Oktober 2011 @podcastcamp Medienschelte – Altes Medien-Watchblog von Daniel auphonic – Automatic Audio Post Production Web Service TA08 – Journals – über das Schreiben von wissenschaftlichen Texten Podlove – the future of podcasts Instacast – genialer Podcatcher für iOS wordpress – Content Management System, mit brauchbarer Podcast Funktionalität maclemon.at @maclemon @meszner Sektor5 – cooler Coworking Space in Wien Kreisky’s Zitat: „Lernen S’ a bisserl Geschichte, Herr Reporter!“

Wie kann man eine fremde Religion begreifen? Wie lassen sich Lebenswelten erfassen die außerhalb unserer Alltagsrealität sind? Im Seminar von Veronika Futterknecht Schamanische Weltbilder und rituelles Heilen – etische und emische Forschungsansätze in der Religionsethnologie ging es genau darum. Gemeinsam mit Priska Österle und Mireya Ladenberger versuchen wir der Faszination echter Felderfahrung in Heilritualen auf die Spur zu kommen. Wir haben viel über Veronikas Felderfahrung in Burma gesprochen, über die Schwierigkeiten im Zuge der Beschäftigung mit fremden Glaubenssystemen und der Vereinbarkeit von westlichen Forschungsansätzen zu spirituellen Systemen. Literatur zu Qualitativer Religionsethnologie Jean-Guy Goulet & David E. Young 1994: Being Changed by Cross-Cultural Encounters: The Anthropology of Extrodinary Experiences. Petersborough, Ontario: Broadway Press Braud Anderson (Ed.) 1998: Transpersonal Research Methods for the Social Sciences: Honoring Human Experience. Sage Publications Ltd: London, UK Koch-Göppert Gudrun 2007 Wissenschaftliches Arbeiten: Topographie der Bewusstseinszustände. LIT:Berlin (Seite 50) Tart Charles T 1972: States of Consciousness and State-Specific Sciences. Science, Vol 176 1203-1210 Kremser Manfred 2002: “Am Anfang war das Ritual – Schematische Aufstellungsarbeit in indigenen Kulturen?” In: Gunni L. Baxa & Christine Essen & Astrid Kremser Manfred 1998: “Von der Feldforschung zur Felderforschung” In: Wernhart, Zipps (Hg.): Ethnohistorie: Rekonstruktion und Kulturkritik Seite 135-133 Norretranders Tor 1994: Spüre die Welt: Die Wissenschaft des Bewusstseins. Hamburg: Rowohlt www.alexgrey.com Literatur zu Schamanismus Uccusic Paul 2001: Der Schamane in uns. Schamanismus als neue Selbsterfahrung, Hilfe und Heilung. München: Hugendubel Vitebsky Piers 1998: Schamanismus. München: Knaur Kremser Manfred 2002: “Am Anfang war das Ritual – Schamanische Aufstellungsarbeit in indigenen Kulturen?” In: Gunni L. Baxa & Christine Essen & Astrid H. Kreszmeier (Hg.): Verkörperungen – Systematische Aufstellung, Körperarbeit und Ritual.. Heidelberg: Auer Seite 110-128 Schenk, Amelie & Christian Rätsch (Hg.) 1999: Was ist ein Schamane? Schamanen, Heiler, Medizinleute im Spiegel westlichen Denkens. Courage-Sonderband 13. Berlin VWB-Verlag Eliade Mircea 1954: Schamanismus und archaische Ekstasetechnik. Zürich: Rascher Verlag. Harren Michael 1994: Der Weg des Schamanen. Ein praktischer Führer zu innerer Heilkraft. Genf: Ariston. Verlinkungen WP: Burma WP: Religionsethnologie WP: Emisch-Etisch WP: transpersonale Psychologie WP: Bronislaw Kasper Malinowski WP: Kula WP: Teilnehmende Beobachtung Homepage von Steve Gallegos anim.at Folien aus dem Seminar Einführungsfolien und Vorstellung der Rituale (PDF) Qualitative Religionsethnologie (PDF) Schamanismus (PDF) leider können die Folien mit den alchemischen Vorgängen aus Informantenschutz nicht online gestellt werden