In the past weeks, we have read and heard how the German government has agreed to return looted artifacts to Africa. The return specifically relates to around 1100 Benin Bronzes (various artifacts made out of brass and bronze which were … Continue reading A Guide to Decolonizing Museums
The Pitt Rivers Museum, founded in 1884, is one of the most famous museums of anthropology, ethnography, and archaeology in the world. Once described as a “cultural cornucopia”, its gallery presents a range from religious objects to weapons, textiles, divinity … Continue reading The Pitt Rivers Museum: Is Decolonization on the Way?
“Once ethnography is understood as a discursive structure, its affinities with filmic ontologies of memorialization, redemption, and loss can become a rich source of allegorical possibility. If the cinema itself has taken on some of the aura of a ‘vanishing … Continue reading Anthropology: Experimental Ethnography and Avant-garde Voices
Traditionally, ethnographic writing is the non-fictional end product of anthropological research. It is generally the most widely distributed result of research. Many individuals are introduced to anthropology through reading ethnographies. An ethnography is a book-length condensation of field notes and … Continue reading Anthropology: Portraying Culture Through Modern Graphic Ethnography and Fiction
Introduction: Interviews and Ethnography I had been fumbling with the ethics of constructing a life history. So I decided to narrate a life under influence. In university, I learnt that ethnography was the primary tool of an anthropologist. It is … Continue reading Lives Under the Influence: An Ethnobiographical Study
An Introduction to Ethnographic Methods Participant observation is one of the key methods of anthropology. This form of research involves researchers entering into a field site, usually an unfamiliar culture, for extended stays. Anthropology has a unique benefit over other … Continue reading Anthropology: The Unique Advantages and Challenges of Longitudinal Research and Ethnographic Methods
“Desire is a complex process, constituted by many parameters- the body and its pleasures, the socio-cultural context and what it allows, and the discursive context according to which sexual acts are represented”. ~Venetia Kantsa, 2008 In a small provincial town … Continue reading Anthropology: Sexual Orientation in Greece from Ancient History to Modern Times
Transition to a Digital Culture Traditional anthropological research involved seeking out a culture other than one’s own, and becoming immersed in it. In recent decades, anthropology has undergone radical shifts which continue to this day. In the last three decades, … Continue reading Anthropology: The Ethnographic Study of Virtual Worlds and Online Culture
Dance is a fascinating thing. Both something everyone can do as they hum to their favorite song, as well as an intricate sport that requires years of training. On the surface, dance is a beautiful art form that we can … Continue reading Ethnochoreology: A Study of Culture Through Dance