More and more I’ve been trapped into thinking about power in overly simple, generalized ways. Ie: my previous attempt at a more creative/informal/free expression on how I felt doing a Masters degree. Having some experience now working as a TA, I have felt first hand the effects of “power”. When I speak with people in [...]
Archive for May, 2008
25 May
games of power
Heres an interesting news link touching on a role of academic journals – “A year after Russia’s controversial flag-planting dive to the North Pole seabed to assert ownership of a sprawling underwater mountain chain, Canada is launching a less brazen but potentially more effective counterclaim for control over parts of the disputed Arctic ridge – [...]
24 May
being wrong
That blogs invoke a kind of informality is highly beneficial to the anthropologist in the field. It opens the door to being wrong. [and/or stupid in public] If I wait more, think more, reflect more, learn more, will I still be wrong? Should I hide how wrong I am now? When do I come out [...]
23 May
being open
When doing research, and you come across someone you don’t like, do you try and hide that from them? In my books, writing nasty things in your field notes about a person, but not confronting them directly with your feelings is unethical. Honesty in this sense is about respect to each other. You can’t go [...]
23 May
Inspiring my research into open access
Heres an example of what inspires my research. I saved this a little while ago, but I found it quite amusing that a search for “open access” on Anthrosource revealed mostly articles I could not access through it. Hopefully I’m not breaking rules posting a screenshot. Doh looks like it was just something wrong with [...]
21 May
From class blog to public blog
A fantastic blog from Max Forte’s Cyberanthropology class has moved into the public realm! Check out “Shannanigans“. She writes: “since I’ve finished Max’s Cyberethnography class I’ve been hesitant as to what to put up here. I’ve decided to keep this blog going for a reason and I believe I’ve found it… What is going on [...]
21 May
writing a masters thesis
I just came across a great post that paints a rather brutal picture for my upcoming year of thesis work – Jenny Ryan recently completed her thesis and describes the process: “Looking back, I see that the stress I put myself under, however much I rationalized the need for it, took a serious toll on [...]
20 May
Blogging as a research tool
For those interested in blogging and academics, check out the discussion going on at the Media Anthropology Network. The list is currently reviewing and discussing Erkan Saka‘s fantastic essay on blogging as a research tool (a version of which I referenced in my mini ethnography assignment). I’m looking forward to hearing more from the list [...]
19 May
forced vs free writing
As I reflect on the arguments I made in the blogging mini ethnography, I realize I failed to incorporate one serious challenge to the idea that journals have ignored students – in that there certainly are journals out there catering to student work. Marc Herbert recently let me know about a call for papers on [...]
14 May
Faculty opinions of new communication technologies,
In “Assessing the Future Landscape of Scholarly Communication: An In-depth Study of Faculty Needs and Ways of Meeting Them” (Harley et al. 2008 ) (via Suber’s OA News) a group of researchers from Berkeley provide a preliminary report on their study of how new communication technologies are viewed by faculty. I almost worried my research [...]

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