The Politics and Power of Internet Infrastructure
We traditionally understand the world to be controlled primarily by technologies of violence and destruction. Who controls these technologies and how they are regulated are arguably the most…
Tag: anthropology
Branding USB flash drives
A wide variety of materials and shapes are used in the manufacture of USB flash drives Even the lowly USB flash drive presents opportunities for creative branding.…
Dunbar’s number – Death and a Saadri
Recently I have read a lot of Robin Dunbar’s work in preparation for that research project looking at how social media has affected our social relationships. His main…
Guns, America and Anthropology
America has a problem with guns. This is certainly not news, but at the moment it is once again newsworthy. I have mentioned my position on guns here…
Observing a McDonald’s Drive Through
Observing the McDonald’s drive-through at the corner of Pape and Cosburn, Toronto, Ontario What can you observe in 30 minutes? Last February 20th I had lunch at a…
Anthro field gear review: Cocoons OveRx photochromic eyewear
A few months ago, I embarked on a series of posts reviewing online retailers of high index (read: strong) prescription eyeglasses. The result was an unexpectedly detailed 5-part…
Using art and audiovisual methods with migrants in Spain: an interview with Francesco Bondanini
Francesco Bondanini, a University of Kent alumnus, uses participatory visual methods to explore and empower the lives of migrants and detainees in Spain and Germany. In the interview…
Carpe Diem/”YOLO”
I hang my head in shame over the fact that it has been months since I last posted anything/went back into the world of teenthropology. To be honest…
Leang Neak Ta Ceremony of Spirit Mediums in Cambodia
Last week my friend Paul Christensen invited me to attend a ceremony of spirit mediums with him. The day was fascinating – full of sounds, smells and sights…
The Neoliberalized, Debt-plagued, Low Wage, Corporatized University
The latest issue of Anthropologies, including my submission, is now available (see table of contents below). I recommend reading all the articles in full and have quoted selected…
Anthropological Video Games?
Via The New Yorker: A cluster of teenagers gathered around a small table, and passersby could hear them exclaim, “Asian! Yeah, I knew it!” and “Aryan? That seems…
Life on water: a photographic tale from Cambodia
Back in August 2012 I spent a day at the Vietnamese floating village at Kampong Chnnang, central Cambodia. Lying at the mouth of the Tonle Sap Lake, much…
New Media Practices and the 2012 Presidential Elections
The past few posts I have written all belong to a collection of case studies about new media practices and the 2012 elections. I want to collect them…
Unwanted: Don’t bother earning a degree in anthropology or archaeology
Yahoo! Education (an appropriate name, I’d say) has today published an article on the top 5 most unwanted, unhelpful degrees a person could possibly waste their time earning.…
More open thoughts on anthropology and academia
Since my last blog post got picked up by Ryan at Savage Minds, related discussions on the subjects of academia, anthropology and disciplinary discontent have been taking place…
#Ivoted: Documenting the Vote in the 2012 Elections
In the lengthy and involved media spectacle surrounding the 2012 elections, the day of reckoning is of course voting day. Traditionally, media messaging switches from heated horse-race coverage…
Live-tweeting democracy: the fantasy of representation
Twitter and the 2012 Elections: Media Practice and Politics Whereas Facebook is a platform that treats politics as more or less taboo, Twitter’s network is made up substantially…
Practices of political news production and consumption on Facebook’s news feed
Since its beginning, the Internet’s potential to disseminate information broadly and easily has been hailed as a great democratizing force. Today, this idealist vision has somewhat deteriorated,…
#Mockthevote: A Case Study in Democratic Media Practice
Media practice and the 2012 elections: Theorizing new models of democratic participation This case study is named after a hashtag that was trending on Twitter during the three presidential…
What matters and what doesn’t: open thoughts on academia
(Update, 11 Dec 2012: A follow-up to this post can be found here: More open thoughts on anthropology and academia.) With genuine appreciation to all those who have…
Back to Anthropology
Product Reviews? Regular readers of this blog may have been wondering about my brief foray into eyeglass reviews, like what it had to do with anthropology or academia…
Reflections on Hurricane Sandy, media and disconnection
Last week, Hurricane Sandy pummeled the east coast of the US. Power outages due to extreme coastal flooding, high winds and fallen trees have caused food and gas…
Socialnomics/Social Media’s presence
(Click this > to watch) Socialnomics/Social Media’s presence Akin to my previous comments on the attachment of teenagers to phones and the way that social media has changed social…
John S. Allen, “The Omnivorous Mind: Our Evolving Relationship to Food”
[Cross-posted from New Books in Food] Did Proust have it right? Does food, whether it’s a madeleine from an aristocratic childhood or the Velveeta mac-and-cheese my mom used to…