Tag: academia

Omens of an Intellectual Death

Omens of an Intellectual Death

Found Poems on “Scholarly Knowledge” from Promotion Review Letters by Dr. REDACTED, Professor of Anthropology, REDACTED University Dedicated to Dell Hymes, who once said, “One should react to the utterance of ‘That’s not anthropology,’ as one would to the omen of an intellectual death. For that is what it is…. Either one has something to say about [a subject] or one does not.”  #1: “Leadership in Scholarly Activities” “It is laudable that Professor REDACTED has chosen to engage with the public {+}

Reflecting on Boundaries, Protection, and Inspiration

Reflecting on Boundaries, Protection, and Inspiration

By: Gina Athena Ulysse Before reading Zoe Todd’s “Should I stay or Should I go?,” I had been pondering writing a post about why and how, I, a Black Haitian woman, claim anthropology. Since I usually begin with titles, I contemplated a few including, “One Foot in and One Foot Out: Post-Zora in da House,” “I Can’t Believe I Lasted this Long,” and my favorite, “Evolve or Be Extinct”— a nod to the King of Grime, English rapper Wiley. While {+}

We suck at (academic) politics

We suck at (academic) politics

Ninety percent of the time if you were to read a blog post about academics and politics it would be a rant about “identity politics.” This isn’t going to be that kind of post. No, what I’m talking about here are “academic politics” in general. Since academic politics might involve trying to get an academic institution to change to be more inclusive there is obviously some overlap between the two, but academic politics might just as well be about funding {+}

Race is Still a Problem in Anthropology

Race is Still a Problem in Anthropology

By Anar Parikh [The following essay emerges from conversation with fellow PhD student and AES/SVA attendee, Scott Ross (George Washington University).] How is it that a senior anthropologist used the n-word during a plenary lecture and no one is talking about it? At last month’s American Ethnological Society Spring Conference in Philadelphia, Sherry Ortner delivered one of three keynote lectures, titled “Documenting Newark: Violent Resemblances.” Whereas much of Ortner’s work during the past two decades has focused on conceptualizing and {+}

This Anthropology Day, Let’s Remember George Hunt

This Anthropology Day, Let’s Remember George Hunt

It’s Anthropology Day, our discipline’s latest invented tradition! A time for reflection on chocolate mint and the values of our discipline, Anthropology Day 2018 is uniquely placed this year. Earlier this week, Cultural Anthropology ran a powerful and important reflection by David Platzer and Anne Allison on the tenuous situation anthropology is in as tenure track jobs continue to disappear. And, even more importantly, yesterday was the 164 birthday of George Hunt, the First Nations anthropologist who helped found modern American anthropology {+}

Let’s all write shorter letters of recommendation

Let’s all write shorter letters of recommendation

If you are an academic who is in a secure, full-time position then , let’s be honest, no one in the precariate wants to listen to you complain about how hard your job is. But if you were to complain, one topic would be the endless rounds of letters of recommendation you are asked to read and write. The production and circulation of these letters has gotten out of control, people: out of control. We need to go back to letters {+}

Start an Anthropology Career in 2018

Start an Anthropology Career in 2018

Lets put aside for the moment all the usual warnings about pursuing an academic career. Lets say that you are old enough to take responsibility for your own bad decisions and have somehow gotten it in your head that, despite everything you’ve heard, you really like the idea of becoming an anthropologist. If you really will not be dissuaded . . . “Welcome to the club!” But also know that competition is stiff. You probably have better chances of landing {+}

What I Wish I Knew Before Becoming a Professor

What I Wish I Knew Before Becoming a Professor

There is power in wisdom, and sometimes wisdom rests in community. Over the years, as I’ve mentored grad students, I have shared with them the things I wished someone had told me before I became a (tenure-track) professor. My list, however, was only ever that: a list based on my personal experiences. Others had other stories to tell, and so this weekend, I reached out to twenty-odd professor friends to share what was on their lists. The crowd-sourced list below {+}