AnthroCurrents January 31, 2017

The last week and a half have been pretty intense.  I hope you can find a brief respite in hearing about the good work of our fellow colleagues.

I cannot wait to see the results of the Human Generosity Project. In such divided times, I can think of no better question than under what conditions do people cooperate and share with each other?  Will disasters or risks bring people together or drive them apart?

Anthropologists are engaging in the current political dialogue in some important and thoughtful ways. I’m extremely proud to stand with the AAA call for immediate reversal of the immigration ban.  Anthropologist Elisa Sobo writes a reflective piece comparing the pink pussy hats and red Trump hats.  She warns that deep division and blanket identities make it harder for individuals to find a voice.  Finally, Paul Stoller argues that ethnography is a powerful tool for resistance.  By describing the conditions of social spaces & places we can create counter-narratives in this age of “alternative facts”.

Speaking of ethnography, well-known practitioner anthropologist Genevieve Bell is leaving her current post at Intel and returning to Australia. She is one of the pathfinders among anthropologists working in technology:

Finally, we all can use a friend (or two or three…). But British anthropologist and psychologist Robin Dunbar says in his TED talk that you can only have 150. What do you think?

AnthroCurrents is a biweekly look at how the world sees anthropology. Add your comments below, or send tips and links to anthrocurrents@practicinganthropology.org. Follow on Twitter (@NapaAnthro), Facebook (@NAPA.Anthro), or LinkedIn (National Association for the Practice of Anthropology).