My life reached a whole new level of weird recently. I signed up to a fortnightly subscription for deodorant delivery. My husband and I, as busy, professional DINKs1 (sort of – I’m on a PhD scholarship, but still, there are two of us) outsource a lot of our adulting responsibilities – we’ve been taking advantage of … Continue reading Outsource Your Adulting
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Ethnographers vs ‘Tourists’
Anthropologists love to compare themselves to tourists. Nothing more confirms the merit of anthropology and its commitment to ‘in-depth’ fieldwork than the cultural missteps of globetrotters – especially wealthy Western ones – as they bumble through quagmires of etiquette and faux pas in the act of rubbing up against foreign cultures across the world. Anthropologists … Continue reading Ethnographers vs ‘Tourists’
Are You an Intellectual, or a Member of the Intelligentsia?
In some ways, it’s easier than ever before to be an expert in something - YouTube can teach you almost anything you want to know. At the same time though, it’s not the best time in history to purport to be an expert, either. And in a ‘post-fact era’, where politicians can make statements like … Continue reading Are You an Intellectual, or a Member of the Intelligentsia?
Academic Jargon & Knowledge Exclusion
Author: Alex Di Giorgio, PhD Candidate in Anthropology at the University of Tasmania and Research Assistant for Larrakia Nation I remember my first year of university as being an introduction to the big bad world of academic writing. Taking home my first reading brick - back when they still existed – I was faced with … Continue reading Academic Jargon & Knowledge Exclusion
Is Art the Limit of Embracing the Uncomfortable?
In today's polarising political climate, exacerbated by preferences for quick answers, it is becoming harder to appreciate the messiness of life. Except when we go to art galleries or find ourselves on a therapist's couch. Why can't we appreciate our discomfort anywhere else? There are few human conditions that people fear or misunderstand more than … Continue reading Is Art the Limit of Embracing the Uncomfortable?
Trump Misunderstands Iran
Most of us will have seen over the past few days images of refugees, green card holders, and travellers, arriving in US airports only to be told that they have been denied entry on the basis of President Trump’s executive order banning entry to citizens of Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Yemen, Somalia and Iran. The … Continue reading Trump Misunderstands Iran
Experiencing Multiculturalism: When is Diversity, Diverse?
Growing up in middle class Australia, concepts of tolerance, respect, and the abstract celebration of diversity were part and parcel of my family’s commitment to multiculturalism as a social principle. People were different – and that was A Good Thing. After all, if we were all the same it would be well, pretty boring. In … Continue reading Experiencing Multiculturalism: When is Diversity, Diverse?
Me & Anthropology at the Dawn of Trump
I deluded myself into thinking that Barack Obama had, at the least, embodied an inclusive and affable leadership style. I did not question whether his gregariousness would appeal to everyone. Nor did I realise how many he left behind trying to peddle democratic values in a corrupt system. I am also guilty of romanticising the … Continue reading Me & Anthropology at the Dawn of Trump
The Familiar Strange 