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I am with Heike all the way.
I personally disagree with the content of the anecdote sent by Sawsan
Karimi. And yet, who is to decide whether that's political
propaganda, a personal point of view or a 'scientifically informed'
opinion? For those who call upon science: are we implying here that
science is divorced from politics and that there are not differing
views of science, all influenced by different political
presuppositions? To state that one is 'neutral' in regard to certain
matters is in itself a political statement.
As much as I disagree with Sawsan Karimi's email, to be honest calls
for restriction to 'scientific' matters scare me just as much as the
populist anecdotes. But this is no good reason to ask other members
to subscribe to my view of what science is or is not, what is
postable and what is not.
One thing the post with the anecdote reached is to raise some
discussions about the question of political engagement. Then I guess
it's a good break from the very useful more informative posts about
jobs, conferences and the like. Actually, these discussions should be
just as integral to the pursuit of 'science' as the technical
dealings with job and conference applications.
In terms of overall implications for the moderation of the lists: I
think we should keep this kind of collective 'spontaneous' moderation
going, seems to work out well. Maybe next time when we have a
complaint about what is being posted, we can express it as suggestion
to others without calls for 'top-down' intervention from some
'omniscient' referee?
Vito Laterza
On 21 Aug 2006, at 11:42, Heike Schaumberg wrote:
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> * A postgraduate project comprising online journal, *
> * online discussions, teaching and research resources *
> * and international contacts directory. *
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>
> Dear all (in response to Nicky and following postings),
>
> Becky, I had already written this before your reply to the list, so am
> posting it as my personal reply. I think to arrive at a sensible
> policy
> or whatever, this requires some open debate.
>
> Although I am a member of the AM Steering Group, I wish to begin by
> clarifying that I am expressing here my personal views and they do not
> represent an agreed AM Steering Group position of any sorts.
> However, I
> would like to remind everyone, that a similar debate about the
> nature of
> the postings had occurred recently on this list with regards to lesser
> matters of postings requesting references and such like. It was then
> agreed that such postings ought to share their findings, provide for
> deeper discussion or observations precisely because this list also
> ought
> to generate debate, but that people should refrain from abusing this
> list for not doing their own 'home work'. However, this latest posting
> and the responses to it raise a number of pertinent and slightly
> different issues, and this is not simply a question of 'policy' on the
> usage of the list, but is a political question for anthropology.
>
> Personally, I agree with Nicky that the Arab world is not the primary
> culprit for the atrocities being committed in Palestine and Lebanon
> (even if there are conflicting interests in the region that no
> doubt are
> quite frustrating for the victims of war in the region, they are to a
> considerable extent also a colonial heritage; although the mass
> demonstration in Baghdad the other week against the invasion of
> Lebanon
> I thought was very inspiring considering the devastating conditions of
> war, occupation, and sectarian violence there). For any serious debate
> regarding these contemporary issues - and I would not belittle this
> humanitarian devastation as 'anecdotes' - the question of power
> needs to
> be addressed, and anthropologists have a great deal to offer in this
> regard amongst many other pertinent aspects that make the
> components of
> our discipline. Israel's current aggressions towards its neighbours
> and
> invasion of neighbouring national territories are only possible thanks
> to the considerable support it receives from the US. Is the
> Anglo-American 'war on terror' a global war? The White House seems to
> think so.
>
> Given these wider contexts of war and militarization, heavy propaganda
> in the mainstream media, should anthropologists remain silent? How can
> anthropologists defend the discipline's humanitarian values in these
> times? Some anthropologists may wish to separate their profession from
> more political engagements, but is that realistic? History has a habit
> of catching up with the unawares. Moreover, as a discipline concerned
> with human societies, anthropology is a profoundly political
> discipline
> and I believe it to be good practice to be open about ones
> political and
> ideological framework. In order to defend the discipline's
> humanitarian
> values, anthropologists must speak out more against the killings of
> thousands of civilian lives, the violent destruction of entire
> countries
> and regional devastation in the name of 'democracy', and the
> attempts to
> impose puppet regimes that work for imperialist expansionist
> interests.
> Surely those wishing to defend the discipline's humanitarian values
> agree on that much. Our own discipline provides us with ample examples
> of what colonialism looks like and we must name things for what
> they are
> and can debate about content and its implications. Anthropology has
> evolved since its more dubious past of engagements with hegemonic
> agendas during earlier colonial times to defend principles of
> accountability and transparency, and in solidarity with 'the
> wretched of
> the earth', as stressed by Peter Nas, Secretary-General of IUAES
> (International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences)
> in AT
> (21[4]). They are, I believe, worthy principles to uphold. This is now
> all under threat from growing militarization of our societies,
> including
> the 'democratic' North. That the discipline of anthropology and
> anthropologists are not immune from these wider trends and
> processes is
> underlined by recent developments in the discipline. US scholarship
> programs funded by and linked to the CIA (such as PRISP created by
> Felix
> Moos, an anthropologist; see amongst others the comments in
> Anthropology
> Today issues since 2005 or the ASA website blog on ethics for further
> discussion and info on this subject), and the consequences of spying
> masked as scholarly activities, if allowed to expand, they will
> have far
> reaching implications for the future of anthropological research, and
> for the social sciences more generally (not restricted to US
> institutions). And I do not have to point out here that this also
> involves key professionals in the discipline involving the discipline
> and social sciences as a whole into powerful hegemonic politics in
> practice without it having been approved by our professional
> membership
> organisations prior to these developments. This is nothing new, this
> happens all the time; the university is after all an institution of
> capitalism to serve the hegemon, but because it deals with ideas, it
> also contains its own contradictions and produces a space where
> hegemonic intent can be countered and is battled out. Anthropology has
> on occasion been quite vociferous in this regard in the past. But
> to now
> disallow a postgraduate platform for being 'used' to debate and
> voicing
> political views, is, in my view, digging a grave for anthropology. I
> strongly feel that only through profound and honest debate of these
> issues will we be able to protect the integrity of our discipline and
> that includes this list. In any case, open engagements with the
> contemporary world would also go some way to developing a much needed
> 'public anthropology', that is one, that contributes critically to
> contemporary debates.
>
> To conclude, present-day war efforts and global crisis clearly affect
> our profession in a number of ways that must not be ignored and I thus
> consider any scholarly platform appropriate to address these
> issues. As
> AM is not funded by the Security Agencies, it would simply be
> unfeasible
> for AM to police this list in any serious way and I think it would
> also
> be undesirable; on what grounds, who decides, etc? Any scrutiny of the
> postings can be done most effectively collectively, that is amongst
> all
> members on this list by responding as required. Instead of
> beginning to
> ban, what is which seems to be called for, certain postings or authors
> (unless it is a clear case of discriminatory abuse or personal threats
> and such like) I believe it is better practice to 'hear' the arguments
> through honest and open debate. Even if I disagree with parts or
> all of
> a posting, I welcome it if it generates deeper engagement on this list
> with the contemporary world and an issue that affects us all; the
> future
> and integrity of anthropology and the social sciences generally. Will
> anthropology be able to live up to the task, critically engage with
> the
> world and stand the test of time as a serious and challenging
> discipline? I hope so and I look forward to your responses.
>
> The question of attachments would not have come up if it was about job
> or conference announcements. I think we can call on everyone to be
> sensible users of emails; if you do not think that an attachment is
> safe, then don't open it, it's as simple as that. This is a hazard
> of a
> computerised world and there is little that AM can do to prevent virus
> transmission. The onus is on everyone to ensure that their anti-virus
> software is updated, and they decide which attachments to open and
> which
> not.
>
> With best wishes,
>
> Heike
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> Heike Schaumberg (PhD Candidate)
> Social Anthropology (School of Social Sciences)
> The University of Manchester
> Roscoe Building,
> Brunswick Street,
> M13 9PL
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: The Anthropology-Matters forum mailing list
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of nicky
> Sent: 20 August 2006 18:26
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Is this what Anthropology Matters is for?
>
>
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> * http://www.anthropologymatters.com *
> * A postgraduate project comprising online journal, *
> * online discussions, teaching and research resources *
> * and international contacts directory. *
> ******************************************************
>
> Am I the only person who queries the use of this forum by Sawsan
> Karimi
> for the mailing of the items attached re 'the UN' and the 'Sad but
> true'
> ?
>
> When I signed up I thought this was a forum for news and research
> matters.
>
> It is not that I do not necessarily agree with the sentiments these
> messages contain, just that there is a lot of such unsolicited titbits
> going around in email and I often question who puts these things
> out in
> the first place and what their motives are. For example in whose
> interests is it to argue that the Arab world really primarily to blame
> for the atrocities being carried out in Israel and Palestine?? This is
> an issue that is debatable and I really wonder if others feel this is
> the appropriate forum for such anecdotes? Any responses appreciated.
> Yours Nicky Spawls MA Medical Anthropology
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: The Anthropology-Matters forum mailing list
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of sawsan
> karimi
> Sent: 20 August 2006 15:28
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Fwd: FW: UN campaign
>
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>
>
> Note: forwarded message attached.
>
>
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