[Upcoming Seminar] Mobilising Concern - The Ethical Challenges NGOs Face in Visually Representing Social Problems

Title: Mobilising Concern - The Ethical Challenges NGOs Face in Visually Representing Social Problems

Speaker: Robert GODDEN (Director, Campaigns and Communications, Rights Exposure)
Date and time: 3 February 2017, 1:00p.m.-2:30p.m.
Venue: Room 115, Humanities Building, New Asia College, CUHK

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Charitable organisations working on social problems such as human rights and poverty need to raise concern and mobilise action amongst the public in order to have impact. To do so often requires them to visually represent the suffering of 'distant others'. This presents them with a number of strategic and ethical challenges in how to present complex problems, communicating the need for action, yet not dehumanise, disempower, or stereotype communities and populations. Existing power relationships between those who picture/communicate the problems and those who experience them are sometimes complicated by historical colonial relationships. This talk will look at some of the challenges NGOs face in their visual communications, and ask how they can be effective and at the same time avoid ethical pitfalls? 

Robert Godden is a human rights campaigner specialising in visual communications. He is currently the Director of Campaigns and Communications at Rights Exposure, a consultancy focussing on the rights of migrant workers. Previously he was the Asia-Pacific Campaign Coordinator at Amnesty International. 

All interested are welcome!

[The 9th Annual CUHK Anthropology Postgraduate Student Forum] Engaged Asian Anthropology: Opportunities and Challenges

The 9^th Annual CUHK Anthropology Postgraduate Student Forum, with the theme “Engaged Asian Anthropology: Opportunities and Challenges”, was held on 20–21 January, 2017 at CUHK. It is an annual event organized by the postgraduate students of the Anthropology Department to encourage communication between young anthropologists who conduct research in the East and Southeast Asian region, and to offer an international platform for the exchange of excellent research conducted in Asia.

Group Photo

80 participants, including postgraduate students and scholars from local and overseas universities, attended the event this year. 60 of them presented their papers at the forum, with topics revolved around the theme of Asian Anthropology. 14 panels were arranged, addressing various research areas like ‘Transnational Migration, Identity  and Self-being’, ‘Engendering Subjectivity and Volatile Body’ and ‘Dynamics in Heritage and Arts Preservation’.

Panel presentation

Two featured workshops were also held. Mr. Robert Godden, Director of Rights Exposure, gave a workshop on “The Role of the Image in Positive Social Change: Representation and Ethics”, and Dr. Charles Sung and Ms. Mokki Hsiao, Founders of Anthropologists For Future, ran another workshop on “Making Anthropology Sexy: How We Run ‘Anthropologists For Future’”. The two workshops inspired participants to explore how anthropological knowledge could be applied and engaged in various academic and career fields.

Mr. Robert Godden giving a workshop on “The Role of the Image in Positive Social Change: Representation and Ethics”

Dr. Charles Sung and Ms. Mokki Hsiao running the workshop

In addition, Prof. Don Kulick, Distinguished University Professor of Anthropology at Uppsala University in Sweden, gave a keynote speech on “Danes Call People with Down Syndrome ‘Mongol’: Politically Incorrect Language and Ethical Engagement”. The speech examined the use of politically correct language in a deeply contentious arena—disability.

Prof. Don Kulick giving the keynote speech

The forum was concluded with a fieldtrip to Wanchai. Our fieldtrip docent led participants to different attractions in Wanchai, such as Masjid Amar & Islamic Center, Canal Road, and the Blue House Cluster, to explore the dynamic cultures of locals and ethnic minorities.

Field trip to Wanchai

This forum was the outcome of the hard work and commitments of many people and organizations. Here, we would like to thank Prof. Don Kulick, Dr. Charles Sung, Ms. Mokki Hsiao, Mr. Robert Godden, professors who volunteered to be our discussants, all the forum participants, and the organizing committee members for their unending support for this event.

[News] Dr. Bosco's Article Wins Award at Hong Kong Studies Conference

An article published by Prof. Joseph Bosco in 2016, when he was teaching in the department, has been selected as one of the six outstanding papers in Hong Kong Studies for 2015/2016. The six papers were selected from 186 articles in Hong Kong Studies published in the previous year, and were presented at the first Hong Kong Studies Annual Conference sponsored by the Academy of Hong Kong Studies of the Education University of Hong Kong last week, on January 20th. Information on the conference and on the other awarded papers can be found at https://www.eduhk.hk/ahks/view.php?secid=51060

Dr. Bosco's award-winning article is:

Joseph Bosco (2016) "The Sacred in urban political protests in Hong Kong." International Sociology (2016) 31(4):375-395.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0268580916645767 (subscription necessary)

Poster of HKSAC

[Upcoming Seminar] Sex, Disability and the Ethics of Engagement

Title: Sex, Disability and the Ethics of Engagement

Speaker: Don Kulick (Professor, Uppsala University, Department of Cultural Anthropology and Ethnology, Sweden)
Chairperson: Prof. Hsun-hui Tseng (Assistant Professor, Gender Studies Programme, The Chinese University of Hong Kong)
Date and time: 25 January 2017, 12:30p.m.-2:00p.m.
Venue: Room 502, Wong Foo Yuan Building The Chinese University of Hong Kong

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Abstract:
The talk will present findings from Loneliness and its Opposite a recent comparative study of sexuality and disability in Sweden and Denmark (Kulick and Rydström 2015). The speaker will discuss how the sexual lives of adults with significant disabilities are facilitated in Denmark, and how they are impeded in Sweden. The speaker will argue that access to sexuality for disabled people is not a right; it is an issue of fundamental social justice.

Mini-biography:
Kulick is Distinguished University Professor of Anthropology at Uppsala University in Sweden, where he directs a large research program titled “Engaging Vulnerability”. He has conducted long-term fieldwork in Papua New Guinea, Brazil, and Scandinavia, and has published in a number of fields, including linguistic anthropology, sexuality and gender studies, and disability studies. His books include Travesti: sex, gender and culture among Brazilian transgendered prostitutes (1998); Taboo: sex, gender and erotic subjectivity in anthropological fieldwork (1995; with Margaret Willson); Fat: the anthropology of an obsession (2005, with Anne Meneley); Language and Sexuality (2003, with Deborah Cameron); and Loneliness and its Opposite: sex, disability and the ethics of engagement (2015, with Jens Rydström).

Online registration: https://goo.gl/zTDBgV.

All interested are welcome!

[Upcoming Seminar] Applying Anthropological Methods in the Design Thinking Process

Title: Applying Anthropological Methods in the Design Thinking Process

Speaker: Charles Shih Hsiang SUNG (Assistant Professor, College of Management and the Integrated Program Of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, National Sun Yat-Sen University; Founder of Anthropologists for the Future)

Date and time: 23 January 2017, 1:00 – 3:15 pm

Venue: Room 12 Humanities Building, New Asia College, CUHK

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Design thinking is a tool developed by a world-famous design company “IDEO” and has become one important tool for solving problems in social and commercial fields. It includes five important steps (Empathy, define, ideate, prototyping, and prototype testing), three evaluation standards (viability, desirability, and feasibility), and two thinking principles (divergent thinking and convergent thinking). As IDEO claims that anthropologists are beneficial to design thinking process, anthropologists in academic still lack understanding to it and ignore our strengths in design process. In this workshop, I will introduce how to apply anthropological methods in design thinking process and how to issue a design project based on anthropological concerns. Anthropologists are familiar with conducting participant observation and interviews with empathy in fieldwork. This is important and helpful to design thinking process. However, anthropologists usually ignore the creativity we own. In the workshop, I will also introduce how to inspire creativity and develop insights based on anthological perspectives. 

Charles Shih Hsiang Sung is an Assistant Professor teaching material culture anthropology and design thinking in the Integrated Program of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, National Sun Yat-sen University. He and his partner are promoting the application of anthropological perspectives and ethnographical methods outside the academic by building a team and the Facebook Page "Anthropologists for Future (百工裡的人類學家)". They organize online anthropological knowledge sharing and offline activities for people who are outside anthropological academic circle but interested in its application. He believes that anthropologists can work with different fields because they all expect a better future based on humanity values.

ALL INTERESTED ARE WELCOME! 

(A light lunch will be served at 12:30 pm. First come first served.)

Friday Seminars Schedule (Spring 2017)

The Friday seminars schedule of this semester has been announced! Don't forget to mark down the seminar dates on your calendar!

Most of the seminars in this semester will take place at 1:00P.M.–2:30P.M. at Room 115, Humanities Building, CUHK*. A light lunch will be served at 12:30pm.

We look forward to seeing you at the seminars!

(*Note that particular seminars will be held in other places.)

[The 9th Annual CUHK Anthropology Postgraduate Student Forum] Danes Call People with Down Syndrome ‘Mongol’: Politically Incorrect Language and Ethical Engagement

Title: Danes Call People with Down Syndrome ‘Mongol’: Politically Incorrect Language and Ethical Engagement
Speaker: Don Kulick (Distinguished University Professor of Anthropology, Uppsala University, Sweden)
Date and time: 21 January 2017, 12:30p.m.-1:30p.m.
Venue: 1/F, AIT, School of Architecture, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

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What is the point of using politically correct language? How is using politically correct language believed to influence non-linguistic behavior and engagement? What theory of language animates the idea that language deemed politically correct is desirable and good? This talk examines politically correct language in a deeply contentious arena, namely, disability. It contrasts two Scandinavian countries, Denmark and Sweden, that are very similar in terms of government support and services for people with disabilities. However, how people in those two countries talk about disability differs vastly. In Sweden, language about disability is carefully monitored. In Denmark, there is little or no political correctness when it comes to disability. How does this contrast in language relate to the respect with which people with disabilities are accorded?

Kulick is Distinguished University Professor of Anthropology at Uppsala University in Sweden, where he directs a large research program titled “Engaging Vulnerability”. He has conducted long-term fieldwork in Papua New Guinea, Brazil, and Scandinavia, and has published in a number of fields, including linguistic anthropology, sexuality and gender studies, and disability studies. His books include Travesti: sex, gender and culture among Brazilian transgendered prostitutes (1998); Taboo: sex, gender and erotic subjectivity in anthropological fieldwork (1995; with Margaret Willson); Fat: the anthropology of an obsession (2005, with Anne Meneley); Language and Sexuality (2003, with Deborah Cameron); and Loneliness and its Opposite: sex, disability and the ethics of engagement (2015, with Jens Rydström).

All interested are welcome!

Flyer of the keynote speech

Poster of  The 9th Annual CUHK Anthropology Postgraduate Student Forum

[Announcement] 2017 Summer Internship Opportunities

OVERSEAS INTERNSHIPS

The Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology, Cambridge, UK

Quota: 1 interns (to be confirmed)

Duration: 6 weeks (late June to mid/late August)

The Nicholson Museum, The University of Sydney, Australia

Quota: 1 intern (confirmed)

Duration: 6 weeks (late June to mid/late August)

Financial aids for overseas internship:

Students can apply to New Asia College or the Department of Anthropology for funding. 

LOCAL INTERNSHIPS

Hong Kong Museum of History

Quota: 3-5interns (to be confirmed)

Duration: Four to six weeks between June and August, to be confirmed.

Antiquities and Monuments Office, SAR

Quota: 1-2interns (to be confirmed)

Duration and schedule:  Four to six weeks between late June and August, to be confirmed. 

Hong Kong Maritime Museum

Quota: 1 intern (confirmed)

Duration and schedule: About six weeks, to be confirmed.

The Festivals Office (LCSD)

Quota: 1 intern (to be confirmed)

Duration and schedule: About 220 hours between July and August, to be confirmed.

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For details of the internship, please refer to written reports by previous interns available on our department website. http://arts.cuhk.edu.hk/~ant/en/internships.php
 
TO APPLY: Fill in application form and send with a copy of your resume to Prof. Weng Cheong Lam (wlam@cuhk.edu.hk) before January 23 Monday.

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Internship opportunities at Nongovernmental Organizations (RECOMMENDED)

(Students should apply directly to the organization.)

Overseas

International Movement For Just World (JUST),

Jalan Sultan, Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

Local

Action for Reach Out, http://www.afro.org.hk/EN/

Teens Key, https://www.facebook.com/TeensKey

M+ 6-Month Internship Program, 

https://careers.westkowloon.hk/jobsearch/internship/Default.aspx?lang=en

[Announcement] Courses offered by the Anthropology Department in 2017 Spring Semester

The 2017 Spring Semester will start soon! Our department will be offering nearly 20 courses with diverse topics related to cultures and anthropology. Major and non-major students are welcome to take or sit in on the classes!

------Message To Anthropology Majors------

A number of required courses for Anthropology majors and courses that will be counted as "Ethnography and Area Studies" are offered. Since some of these courses may not be offered every year, students (especially those who are in the final year of study) should plan carefully and make sure that you can graduate on time.

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P.S. The picture only shows the time-slots and locations of different lectures; for information about the tutorials, you can view it on CUSIS. You can also take a look at the course syllabus on our department's website.

[HKAS seminar] Familiar Strangers: Social Media and the Outsider in Chinese Kinship

Title: Familiar Strangers: Social Media and the Outsider in Chinese Kinship

Speaker: Tom McDonald (Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, The University of Hong Kong)

Date and time: 18 January 2017, 7:00 p.m.
Venue: Lecture Hall, Ground Floor, Hong Kong Museum of History, 100 Chatham Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

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Anthropological accounts of social relations within Chinese society have traditionally viewed both kinship and familiarity as the basis of relationships between persons, which has inevitably led to the exclusion of strangers from the majority of attempts to theorize such relations. This lecture draws on ethnographic evidence collected during 15 months of fieldwork studying the impact of social media use in a rural Chinese town, which revealed the nature of these novel relationships with strangers which are facilitated by social media, showing how these encounters need to be understood in relation to the specific rural context in which participants reside.

Through these ethnographic cases and observations, this lecture will argue that participants do not position strangers that they meet on social media outside of their network of social relations. Instead, the mediatized relationships offered by social media come to represent a ready source of potential friends with whom they are both eager and willing to interact. On occasion, it is actually these strangers who individuals feel they can most easily confide in, and share intimate feelings – or experiences – with.

This lecture will thus conclude by arguing that improved models for understanding Chinese social relationships are needed, which are capable of understanding the stranger as integral, rather than antithetical to sociality.

Following the talk, you are invited to a self-paying dinner with the speaker. For more information, please contact Stan Dyer on 9746 9537 or anthrohk@gmail.com, www.cuhk.edu.hk/ant/hkas, www.facebook.com/hkanthro.