Anthro in the news 1/25/10

• Cultural anthropologist on key aspect of Haitian devastation

It’s rare that a cultural anthropologist is quoted on the front page of The New York Times or of any of the mainstream media. So it’s especially noteworthy when it happens. In this case, the article is even above-the-fold. “Burials without Rituals” describes the extreme psychological stress of Haitians facing loss of many family members, friends and others. This stress takes on an extra edge given the critical importance of proper burials to ensure good relations with the dead. The article draws on insights from Ira Lowenthal, a cultural anthropologist who received his doctorate in the United States and has lived in Haiti for 34 years. He comments: “Convening with the dead is what allows Haitians to link themselves, directly by bloodline, to a pre-slave past…” With so many bodies denied a place in family burial plots where many rituals take place, important spiritual connections are severed: “It is a violation of everything these people hold dear … On the other hand, people know they have no choice.”

• OMG limited brain capacity for Facebook friends

The Daily Mail, UK carried a piece highlighting the research of Robin Dunbar, professor of evolutionary anthropology at Oxford University. Dunbar is well-known for his work on sociality, grooming and friendship in nonhuman primates and throughout human evolution. He claims that the size of the human neocortex limits us to manage about 150 friends max. This figure has come to be known as Dunbar’s Number. It has been tested in various contexts from neolithic societies to contemporary office environments. Dunbar is now studying social networking sites to see if Dunbar’s Number applies. It seems to. “The interesting thing is that you can have 1,500 friends but when you actually look at traffic on sites, you see people maintain the same inner circle of around 150 people.” The published study will appear later this year.

• Thanks for the compliment

According to an article in the Chicago Herald-News, studies of social scientists and psychologists point to the nuanced meanings and effects of compliments. Peter Wogan, associate professor of anthropology at Willamette University in Oregon, highlights how gender affects the giving and receiving of compliments. He says that women tend to compliment other women on their appearance while men do not. If men compliment women on their appearance, women perceive it as a come-on and often deflect it. Blogger’s note: I was struck by how heterosexual these patterns sound. So I went to Google Scholar to learn more about Wogan’s research. I think I found the source (PDF file), a brief chapter based on a class project Wogan conducted a few years ago. Students in his “Language and Culture” class collected 270 compliments on the campus in Salem, Oregon. An intriguing glimpse into campus compliments, and a pilot study that would merit replication in different contexts.

• Thoughtful review of Secrets of the Tribe

Secrets of the Tribe is a new documentary exploring the ethical controversies related to anthropological and other research among the Yanomami of the Venezuelan Amazon since the 1960s. It will premiere in Sundance’s World Cinema Documentary Competition. The reviewer comments that the film is “…an often provocative interrogation of how all ambitious people impact the world around them and how difficult (or impossible) it is to be a mere observer.”

• Upcoming event noted in the The Nation

As posted in The Nation, The Palestine Center in Washington, D.C., is hosting a briefing: “Humanitarianism: Prolonging the Palestinian Political Plight?” with Ilana Feldman, assistant professor of anthropology and international affairs, The George Washington University. She is the author of Governing Gaza: Bureaucracy, Authority and the Work of Rule (1917-67). The event is free and open to the public. A light lunch will be served to registered guests at 12:30pm. The briefing and question/answer period will be from 1 – 2 p.m. on January 27. Registration is required.

• 900 year-old Indian mound destroyed

A 12th century Indian temple mound and village site in northeast Alabama has mysteriously disappeared. City officials of Oxford, Alabama, claim innocence. Harry Holstein, Jacksonville State University professor of archaeology and anthropology, says that the site may have contained human remains. When he visited the site last summer, it was intact. When he returned on Monday, it was gone.

• Talking across difference in Asheville, N.C.

John Wood, associate professor of anthropology at the University of North Carolina in Asheville, comments on an initiative there called “Open Space” that helps bridge local social divides. As more and more Americans confine themselves to homogenous neighborhoods, Wood and others see the need to get people to talk across these segregated social spaces. Open Space provides an opportunity for people in Asheville to have “difficult conversations” about topics such as inequality, affordable housing, and joblessness. People meet in a large room. People post topics they want to discuss on a bulletin board. Topics are assigned a place in the room with a circle of chairs. The article includes further details about how it works and contact information for the director of Open Space.

• More university cuts affect anthropology

Louisiana State University faculty and students organized a mock “memorial service” to lament cuts in state funding that will make it difficult for students to find enough courses to graduate. Helen Regis, associate professor of geography and anthropology, says that “We suffered from some cuts last year, but this year’s cuts are really going to decimate the curriculum.” Some people ascribe blame to Governor Jindal’s tax cuts for middle-income and upper-income people.

• Sparking the debate on “Hollywood chimpanzees”

Alan Alda’s three part PBS series, The Human Spark, has brought increased attention to the debate about the use of chimpanzees in the pet and entertainment industries. Brian Hare, assistant professor of evolutionary anthropology at Duke University, was interviewed for the second program, So Human So Chimp, but refused to sign the release until he had seen all the footage involving chimpanzees. Hare was okay with material shot at zoos, sanctuaries and research centers because they follow stringent animal welfare standards. But he did not agree to the sections that featured any privately owned chimpanzee as he believes such footage might contribute to the international trafficking of infant chimpanzees. The intended opening segment showed Alda with Noah, a pet chimpanzee, and a human child sitting at a table. Hare objected. The production team eventually worked out a compromise with Hare. Hare is currently doing research to assess how media presentations of “Hollywood chimps” may affect the illegal trade in nonhuman primates.

• Anthropologyworks in the news

Harper’s picked up on “Why Is Haiti So Poor” and The Morung Express, Nagaland, carried an article linked to the “Top 25 North American Dissertations in Anthropology.” Thanks to both!