Valentine’s Day trivia or not-so trivia

Cultural anthropologists have described and analyzed holidays as windows into local culture as well as indexes of larger global processes. As far as I know, Christmas is the only holiday so far that has generated an entire edited volume. A quick search into published work by cultural anthropologists yielded very little. One insightful article, by a journalism/communications scholar, talks about the creation of Valentine’s Day in Ghana.

Assortment of Valentines Day chocolates. Credit: ccharmon/Flickr — Assortment of Valentine's Day chocolates. Credit: ccharmon/Flickr

Valentine’s Day is rapidly globalizing but not without resistance and reformulation, as the links below illustrate. Is it a Hallmark card event? Maybe a card is required but that may not get you very far. Chocolates? Cut flowers? Dinner out? And who pays? What’s the short-term result on Feb 14 and the longer-term effects?

It’s so decadent: Iran bans Valentine’s Day

More decadent: Valentine’s Day as focal point of culture “East-West” culture clash?

The price of love: price of roses up in China

More: cut flower shortage in Malaysia

Show the love in the US: nearly 150 million cards will be exchanged on Valentine’s Day along with chocolate, flowers and candy

Love everywhere: 10 best places in the world to propose marriage

What’s love got to do with it?: the effects of Valentine’s Day on relationships

Better than brushing?: kissing may prevent tooth decay

Who do you want to be with on Valentine’s Day?: global poll says 1 in 5 prefer to spend Feb. 14 with their pet

But, let’s draw the line: kissing your dogs and cats may have health implications

Valentine’s Day in India: the younger generation in India loves the concept of Valentine’s Day, yet there are many political groups who condemn it as an alien concept

Single on Valentine’s Day?: in Malaysia and Russia religious authorities are attempting to crack down on the decadent Western celebration of couples “being gross with each other”

The seventh eve: celebrating love in China

Back to basics: love and the color red

Back to even more basics: chocolate is good for the brain

List of top 50 blogs

It’s great to see an update on blogs about anthropology. Anthroworks is pleased to be listed. More importantly, it’s great to see that anthropology has such a strong and growing presence in the blogosphere.

Anthro connection: manhood and disillusion in Tunisia

Tunisia burst onto the news scene with its recent political upheaval and ousting of the president (pictured).

What do cultural anthropologists know and write about Tunisian society?

I do not include a bibliography with this post, but will try to do so later. Instead, I simply point you to a fascinating dissertation by Rodney Collins, submitted in 2009 at Columbia University, on masculinity of working class men in Tunis, coffee drinking and the state.

Our guns, our selves

guns

Archaeologists spend a lot of time analyzing weapons of our prehistoric past. Cultural anthropologists are more likely to study bananas, cars and wedding dress style. Commodity studies in cultural anthropology rarely address weapons.

No doubt one reason is that they are hard to study — people are less likely to want to share stories about their weapons than their cars or favorite food. A few brave anthropologists have ventured into gun studies. A few others provide contextual insights into U.S. culture and links to the love of guns among so many people.

Here are some recent sources (most are not publicly accessible, with my apologies) by anthropologists:

Journal articles from my AnthroPlus search via my university library:

Anderson, Leon, and Jimmy D. Taylor. 2010. Standing Out while Fitting In: Serious Leisure Identities and Aligning Actions among Skydivers and Gun Collectors. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography 39(1):34-59.
Crist, Thomas A. 2006. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Bioarchaeology and the Modern Gun Culture Debate. Historical Archaeology 40(3):109-130.
Davidson, James M. 2008. Identity and Violent Death: Contextualizing Lethal Gun Violence within the African American Community of Dallas, TX (1900-1907). Journal of Social Archaeology 8(3):320-354.
Ibhawoh, Bonny. 2002. Stronger than the Maxim Gun: Law, Human Rights and British Colonial Hegemony in Nigeria. Africa: Journal of the International African Institute 72(1):55-83.
Johnson, Colin. 1982. Eastern India: The Plight of Ethnic Minorities – “He Who Lays Down His Gun Lays Down His Freedom”. International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs. Newsletter.no.31-32: 90-99.

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Summer Institute in Cultural Resource Management

June 20-26, 2011

The Summer Institute in Cultural Resource Management offers an excellent and unique opportunity for graduate and undergraduate students to explore a career in cultural resource management, and to obtain real-world experiences that can be applied to future jobs in CRM. The Introduction to CRM course provides a week-long intensive training in the skills, knowledge, and abilities needed for a successful career in CRM. A team of nationally-recognized, practicing CRM professionals will serve as instructors for the course, including Lynne Sebastian, Ph. D., RPA and Terry Klein, M.A., RPA.

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Last-minute stocking stuffer idea from anthropology works

Stretchable to fit the right book, or DVD.

If you still need the perfect holiday gift for someone on your A-list, go to your local bookstore and get a copy of Sebastian Junger‘s book, War. Junger has a B.A. in cultural anthropology, and just take a look at what he’s done with it.

The book may not fit easily in every stocking due to its large size (bigger than a candy bar) and its hugely thought-provoking contents. But maybe it’s time to stretch the stocking and our hearts and minds.

Or, perhaps your giftees would prefer a DVD. If so, you can buy the film version, Restrepo, from Nat Geo.

And, in case you missed it, read AW’s coverage of the film.

Anthro connection: what is barbecue?

For one thing, barbecue is a noun not a verb.

The special double issue of the Economist has an article on barbecue and American culture. One quote: “Barbecue in America, particularly in the American South is like red wine in Bordeaux or maize in Mexico. More than just something to consume, it is an expression of regional and perhaps even national identity.”

Delicious, maybe. But definitely not a verb. (Creative commons licensed by Diego Peñailillo)

To repeat: barbecue is not a verb, it’s a noun. Beyond that: it’s not just good to eat. As Mary Douglas would remind us, barbecue is good to think.

In case you missed it, please check out the AnthropologyWorks’ interview with barbecue king Steve Raichlen.

Anthro is cooking on all burners! Lots to think about.

On time

Clocks from around the world; Credit: Leo Reynolds, Creative commons Flickr image

An artistically engaging 10-minute video on the cultural construction of time offers much food for thought. A resounding message is about the new culture of “busyness” in the United States and its many costs to family life, health, and more.

Cultural anthropologists will not appreciate the several totalizing references to whole countries having value X or value Y about time. Still, one has to appreciate the driving concept and the fantastic graphics.

Thanks to my intro cultural anthropology student, Jessica Glicker, for sending the link.

2011 methods mall now online

The 2011 Anthropology Methods Mall is online. This site has info about five, NSF-supported opportunities for methods training in cultural anthropology.

1. Now in its seventh year, the SCRM (Short Courses on Research Methods) program is for cultural anthropologists who already have the Ph.D. Three five-day courses are offered during summer 2011 at the Duke University Marine Lab in Beaufort, North Carolina

2. Now in its 16th year, the SIRD (Summer Institute on Research Design) is an intensive, three-week course for graduate students in cultural anthropology who are preparing their doctoral research proposals. The 2011 course runs from July 17–August 6 at the Duke University Marine Laboratory.

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2011 travelwriting colloquium

Grey Journeys
8th travelwriting colloquium
April 20-21, 2011
School of History and Anthropology
Queen’s University Belfast

This Travelwriting colloquium is the 8th annual event in the annual Writing Journeys and Places seminar series. It is an informal and interdisciplinary meeting. The colloquium will be launched by dance and music displays by senior citizens and a policy-orientated research discussion on Tuesday 19th April.

The conference fee is £25 and includes refreshments and entertainment!

Potential papers: if you are interested in giving a paper – please email a 300 word abstract by 15th January.

To book a place, please contact Dr Jonathan Skinner (j.skinner@qub.ac.uk). There has been a great deal of interest in this event, and places are limited, so early booking is advised.

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