Around the Web

Gloss words: L.L. Wynn at Culture Matters wrote a piece on “American Ethnography Quasimonthly,” a new ethnography internet-mag which has so far posted public domain anthropology articles. While Wynn is reluctantly waiting to see whether their sexy image is irreverent or insulting, I think the latex dressed nun is fabulous.

Defining Human Rights in Japan: Chad Nilep at Linguistic Anthropology posted a commentary on the juridical understanding of human rights, as elaborated in a Supreme Court case in Japan. The posts summarizes an article written in the English-language The Japan Times.

Gusterson on Minerva: Hugh Gusterson writes on the problems of mixing academia with national security. The article got picked up on the AAA blog too.

Euphemizing Race: If John L. Jackson wrote more frequently, his blog might become my favorite online place to read. In this post, which is crossposted on the Chronicle of Higher Ed, Jackson discusses the sociological effects of avoiding discussing race.

The Importance of Being Earnest: While there was some rancor the last time I reported on this blog, I thought this was an interesting if not ridiculously slanted open letter on corporate anthropology. One of my favorite passages follows:

No academic anthropologist will thank you for making them look bad. By mid career you will be producing more academic work in your spare time than they can produce from the sumptuous, well funded circumstances of a tenured post. They will already resend [sic?] you for having broking the embargo against taking contemporary culture seriously, so now they’re really mad. Expect people to say nasty things on those few occasions you attend sherry hour. Expect people to break off conversation and walk away from you, when they learn you once taught at the Harvard Business School.

Hmm, I think I’d prefer one of those sumptuous, well-funded, do-nothing tenured posts rather than having to endure the brutal but productive work of corporate anthropology. I mean, if for no other reason but the sherry…

Double Dutch: The New York Times reported on the entrance of double dutch as a varsity sport in New York City high schools. The article includes an interview with Kyra Gaunt, author of The Games Black Girls Play.

Precious Metals: Lorenz at antropologi.info has posted on a new documentary on heavy metal cultures around the world. In addition to being a great synthesis of the press the documentary is receiving, Lorenz’s post suggests that metal is an interesting case study of globalization since word-of-mouth and not mass media has been a propelling force of metal’s spread to places like India and Israel. You can also watch the trailer on youtube.