CALL FOR PAPERS 

East Asian Anthropological Association 

Annual Meeting 

The Chinese University of Hong Kong 

14-16 October 2017

The East Asian Anthropological Association is a scholarly association of teachers and students of anthropology based in East Asia and engaged in anthropological work on East Asia. It has its conferences in China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan in recent years. Its upcoming meeting will be in Hong Kong 14-16 October 2017. We hope that you will propose a panel or an individual paper for this conference. You do not need to be a member of EAAA at present in order to submit a panel or paper; you become a member automatically by attending this conference.     

 

Please fill out a EAAA panel proposal or EAAA individual paper proposal, which will require an abstract from you in English. (We regret making English the conference’s language, but because of the prohibitive expense of hiring simultaneous translators, this is necessary.) You can submit either a panel proposal, which should have 3-6 participants speaking on a common topic, or an individual paper proposal, which is your paper alone. Individual paper proposals we will subsequently organize into panels. Submitted panels have a somewhat better chance of being accepted for the conference than individual papers. Panels that cross national boundaries rather than only dealing with one society are preferred, but we realize that such panels may not always be possible. 

If you cannot access the online forms, please complete the attached panel or paper proposal form and send it to eaaa.hk.2017@gmail.com by 1 May 2017. The program committee will make its decisions by 15 May, and will then send out acceptance notices, conference registration forms, and payment instructions to all participants. 

The conference will be held on 14-15 October at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, followed on 16 October by a tour of interesting Hong Kong places.  Registration will be US$100, and participants will pay for their own lodging. We will arrange lodging at a CUHK guesthouse (for which there are limited spaces), or at the Hyatt hotel; you will have the chance to choose which of these you would prefer. We will provide lunches and dinners and refreshments at the conference. For more details, please visit http://arts.cuhk.edu.hk/~ant/EAAAconf/index.html.

We look forward to seeing you in Hong Kong in October! 

[ I·CARE Film Festival 2017 博群電影節] Sunday Beauty Queen 周日皇后

This year's I·CARE Film Festival has invited Dr. Ju-chen Chen to be the post-screening speaker for the film "Sunday Beauty Queen". Highlighting the subjectivity of the Filipino domestic workers in Hong Kong, this film shows us the dreams and life of these workers through their participation in a beauty pageant.

Sunday Beauty Queen

2016｜Philippine｜94 min｜ In English & Filipino with English subtitles  Director: Baby Ruth Villarama

When it comes to weekend streetscape in Hong Kong, the little makeshift havens put up by the Filipino maids in Central are likely to spring to mind. Leaving their country at a young age for a better livelihood, they strike the most of us as menial workers who crowd together on holidays. Who cares who they are, what their dreams are…? As director Villarama delves into their world, she finds out that some of them are busy getting ready for a beauty pageant. Their beauty eludes most Hong Kongers, but not Villarama and the jurors at the Busan International Film Festival, South Korea. Show time for our Cinderellas! Date: 23 March 2017 (Thursday) Time: 6:45pm Venue: Room103, Y.C. Liang Hall Post-screening Discussion Speaker: Chen Ju Chen (Lecturer, Department of Anthropology) Language: English Chen Ju Chen Chen is a Lecturer of the Department of Anthropology in The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Her research interest includes anthropology of China, globalization, urban studies, social differences, labor migration, gender, consumption and mass media. Click HERE for details. 周日皇后 2016｜菲律賓｜94分鐘｜ 英語、菲律賓語｜英文字幕 導演：維拉拉瑪 說起香港的周末風光，好不容易偷得半日閒的菲律賓女傭在中環搭起的臨時小天地，確是一道讓人難以忘懷的風景。她們自小離家到外地打工，旁人只注意她們的工作和聯群結隊的假日，說到真性情與少女夢，卻乏人問津。導演Villarama走進香港鬧市，問問這群異鄉人有何所求，意外地跟隨一群有志於參加選美的「周日皇后」，看她們如何構想專屬的美夢。香港人看不見她們的美，但導演看見了，南韓釜山電影節的評審亦看見了。銀幕上，這群灰姑娘才是主角。 日期：2017年3月23日（星期四） 時間：晚上6時45分 地點：潤昌堂103室 映後座談講者：陳如珍（人類學系講師） 座談語言：英語 陳如珍 香港中文大學人類學系講師，其研究興趣為中國人類學、全球化、都市人類學、社會差異與階層、勞動移民、性別研究、消費文化與媒體研究。 按此查看詳情。

[Multiculturalism in Action Project 2016-2017] Participating in UNESCO 5th Peacemakers’ Cultural Celebration

The Multiculturalism in Action Project (MIA) participated in the 5^th Peacemakers’ Cultural Celebration organized by UNESCO Hong Kong Association on 18 February, 2017 at the Hong Kong Science Park. The program aimed to enhance intercultural dialogues and cultural discovery to engender harmony and mutual understanding. More than 3,000 people joined the event, and there were booths and performances showcasing different religions and cultures.

Exhibition booth and volunteers of MIA

MIA brought its Exhibition on South Asian Communities in Hong Kong, with a special focus on Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan communities in Hong Kong. Visitors of various ethnic backgrounds were attracted. Publications such as Exhibition Handbooks, pamphlets, and leaflets were distributed free of charge.

MIA publications

The Exhibition is now available for schools, social service organizations, public libraries and other interested parties to lend out free of charge! It is accompanied by the Exhibition Handbooks and pamphlets in eight languages (Bengali, Chinese, English, Hindi, Nepalese, Sinhalese, Tamil, and Urdu). Please contact the Research Assistant, Connie Lee (lee-connie@cuhk.edu.hk), to discuss collaboration, such as public lectures and community exhibition, and/or other possibilities.

[Other Activities] Talks organized by Raising the Bar

Raising the Bar has invited Dr. Gordon Mathews and Dr. Chen to give talks on 28 March 2017! Those who are interested can purchase tickets at their website. 

China's Little Africa: Stories of the African Diaspora in Guangzhou
By Dr. Gordon Mathews

Date and Time: 28 March 2017 (Tue), 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM
Location: Orange Peel 2/F, 38-44 D'Aguilar Street Central, Hong Kong Island
Details / Ticket purchase: http://www.rtbevent.com/gordon-mathews

The megacity of Guangzhou is China’s most multicultural city today, and it is home to the largest concentration of Africans in the region - many of them entrepreneurs, merchants, and traders. Unlike the majority of foreigners working in China, Africans often seek to stay, marrying a Chinese wife and making Guangzhou their home. However, the country’s lack of citizen rights for African husbands and its racial prejudice prompt a recurring question: Will they ever be fully accepted - not as foreigners but as legitimate residents of China?

In this talk, Gordon Mathews will explore the business, personal, and romantic relationships between the Africans and Chinese as they pursue low-end globalization in Guangzhou.

BIO

Gordon Mathews is a professor in Anthropology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He is also the author of “What Makes Life Worth Living?”, “Global Culture / Individual Identity”, “Hong Kong, China: Learning to Belong to a Nation”, “Ghetto at the Centre of the World: Chungking Mansions, Hong Kong”, as well as his forthcoming book, “The World in Guangzhou: Africans and Other Foreigners in South China's Global Marketplace”, upon which this talk is based.

Gordon is well-known for his expertise on Chungking Mansions, low-end globalization, and the African diaspora in Guangzhou. His work has been featured by key international publications like CNN, CNBC, BBC, The Economist, and the South China Morning Post.

* This talk will be delivered in English.


中國的「小非洲」：旅居廣州非洲人的故事


廣州是當今中國最紛陳的大城市之一,亦是東亞區內最多非洲人聚居的地方。他們當中大多是企業家和進出口商人。

非洲人跟其他在中國工作的外國人不同,他們大多選擇在當地覓偶,落地生根。不過, 非裔丈夫在中國缺乏公民權利並受種族歧視, 引致一個周而復始的問題:他們終會有被完全接納為中國居民而非外國人的一天嗎?

Gordon Mathews 會在此講探索中非人民在廣州追尋低端經濟全球化時建立的各種商業、個人以致情侶關係。

此講將以英語進行。

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Sunday Catwalks and Hong Kong's Filipino Beauty Pageants
By Dr. Ju-chen Chen

Date and Time: 28 March 2017 (Tue), 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM
Location: Rula Bula G/F, 58-62 D'Aguilar Street Central, Hong Kong Island
Details / Ticket purchase: http://www.rtbevent.com/juchen-chen

In Hong Kong, Filipinos are often homogenized and stigmatized as domestic workers who live without purpose beyond remitting money home. But every Sunday, they gather at friends’ birthday parties, engage in church services, attend association board meetings, and more. Interestingly, many even go on stage to compete in beauty pageants.

In this talk, Ju-chen Chen will bring us to the forefront of understanding individual aspirations - such as receiving a college education or working overseas as a maid - in the broader context of the Philippines’ class structure, colonial legacy, and global exodus.

Dive into the discourse of modernization and the impact of a global capitalist institution through the lens of Filipino beauty pageants in Hong Kong.

BIO

Ju-chen Chen is a lecturer in the Department of Anthropology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Her research focuses on migrant workers (mingong) in China and foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong. She is particularly interested in exploring relationships between the experiences of migration and the realization of motherhood and womanhood.

Since 2011, Ju-chen has been doing ethnographic research on the Filipino community in Hong Kong and has been invited to be a judge at several Filipino Beauty Pageants, including Miss Pinoyshot Princess and Top Model Queen.

Ju-chen holds a PhD degree in Anthropology from Rutgers University-New Brunswick.

*This talk will be delivered in English | One drink minimum


星期天的選美會：香港菲律賓籍家務傭工的渴望


香港的外籍家務傭工往往被社會簡化和標籤。儘管她們的背景和願望各不相同，卻一律被視作「除了賺錢寄回家就別無所求」,生存意義狹隘的一群。
但在多數外傭放假的星期天，他們其實有著緊湊的行程：處理個人雜務之餘還要參加會議、生日派對、教會活動、體育賽事等等。很多人有所不知的是,她們不少甚至走上舞台參加選美。

這次的演講想要處理一個謎題：經過ㄧ星期的忙碌之後，菲籍家務傭工為什麼不在星期天（休息日）好好喘口氣，反而全心投入既費時又花錢的選美活動？

Ju-chen這次演講會從菲律賓的階級結構、殖民歷史以致大量國民往外跑的全球現象入手,去理解每個菲籍傭人的志向。例如:為什麼她們有的選擇考取高等學歷,有的則選擇出國幫傭?
讓我們在認識菲籍傭人選美的同時, 看Ju-chen如何深入剖析現代化話語, 以及全球資本市場帶來的影響。

此講將以英語進行。

[Upcoming Seminar] Circulating “Debts” Among Friends: The Business Practices and Communality of Tanzanian Dealers in Hong Kong and China

Title: Circulating “Debts” Among Friends: The Business Practices and Communality of Tanzanian Dealers in Hong Kong and China 
Speaker: Sayaka OGAWA (Associate Professor, Graduate School of Core Ethics and Frontier Sciences, Ritsumeikan University)
Date and time: 10 March 2017, 1:00p.m.-2:30p.m.
Venue: Room 115, Humanities Building, New Asia College, CUHK

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In her Philosophy of Debt (2014), the French philosopher Nathalie Sarthou-Lajus advocates the reinstatement of “debt.” “Debt” is generally considered to be negative. We are reluctant to be indebted to others, and glorify living on our own without being in debt. However, Sarthou-Lajus points out that this very idea is at the root of the problems of our capitalistic economy. This presentation shows how Tanzanian dealers circulate "debt" and "indebtedness" among themselves and various customers in African countries through electronic money-sending services and SNS on mobile phones in order to pursue commercial transactions and construct their own communality. Based on this, I argue for the possibility of a voluntary and independent system of “debt without repayment obligation” that is different from Sarthou-Lajus’s ideas. I show the potential of a new system of debt circulation arising out of the gray zone of nations, namely, the pirate arena in the heart of the capitalistic economy rather than in governmental social welfare. 

Sayaka Ogawa is an associate professor of the Graduate School of Core Ethics and Frontier Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, Japan, She has specialized in African area studies and cultural anthropology. Her research theme is exploring how marginal people can construct their own life-world while adapting to the logic of global capitalism, and how they can build their own communality for mutual security while respecting autonomy and heterogeneity. Her book The Art of Surviving in the City (in Japanese, 2011) explored the unique business practice and communality of street traders in Tanzania by focusing on street-wise cunning. This book won the 33th Suntory Prize for Social Science. Now she is trying to reveal global distribution systems of second-hand goods and copy products in order to discuss contemporary consumption culture.

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

All interested are welcome!

[Announcement] Summer Field Trip to Cambodia (2-13 June,2017)

Summer Field Trip to Cambodia (2-13 June,2017) for major in anthropology, minor in anthropology, archaeology and cultural heritage studies undergraduate students

This year, Professor Sharon Wong will lead a 12-day field trip to Cambodia. This will be the first credit-bearing summer course – ANTH3321 Topics in Anthropology from Department of Anthropology. The main theme of the trip will be “the Meanings of Cultural Heritage and Archaeological Sites to “Insiders” and “Outsiders””. At the core of the trip, students are required to participate in two-day workshop on interactive lecture and discussion on digital heritage and intangible cultural heritage studies in Cambodia, and hands-on sessions on archaeological artifacts (in collaboration with School of Archaeology, Royal University of Fine Arts, National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21), APSARA Authority, Angkor, University of Sydney, and Centre for Khmer Studies, Siem Reap etc.)

Place: Cambodia
Dates: 2-13 June, 2017
Fee: HK$4800 for the trip (Department will sponsor up to half of the summer field trip, you can also still apply for subsidy from the NA College Office)
Online application form: https://cloud.itsc.cuhk.edu.hk/webform/view.php?id=2931466
Deadline for submission: 7th March, 2017 (Tue) 5pm

Some of the expected outcomes of the field trip are:

• Understand the cultural heritage studies, archaeology, museum anthropology and people and cultures in Southeast Asia in concrete experience;
• Study the various interpretations of “Memory of the World”—case study on the memory of Khmer Rouge and “World Heritage”—case study of Angkor
• Connect cultural dynamics with local and international researchers/students in Cambodia –study the meanings of cultural heritage and archaeological sites to ‘insiders’ and ‘outsiders’;
• Know how to collect data and prepare a mini research report on a case study of cultural heritage/archaeological site or museum;
• Learn to communicate with local people in ways other than students’ spoken language;
• Use inter-disciplinary approaches and critical thinking in discussing heritage issues
• Program of the trip tentatively includes:
• Conducting participant observations, interviews and group research projects in 1-2 cultural heritage/archaeological site(s) or museum(s);
• Visit the major temples of Angkor National Park and some archaeological sites;
• Meeting with researchers and students in local and international Institutions;
• Meeting with archaeologists and anthropologists working in Angkor-World Heritage Site in Southeast Asia;
• Daily briefing sessions and workshops

Difficulties:

Students should be prepared for some challenges, and mentally make a commitment not to complain since the fieldwork is going to be short;

• It will be very hot; not all sites and institutions will have AC, the average high 35-40C, it may have heavy rain.
• Language: all local people speak Khmer, some of the local students and researchers can speak fairly good English, Mandarin and/or French;
• Food: some meals may be very simple especially near the archaeological sites; we will try to go out occasionally to eat in restaurants;
• Students will be stay in pairs or with local Khmer students. Exact arrangements to be arranged, and depend on the male/female breakdown.
• Hard work: students should expect to spend many hours writing field notes and studying archaeological artifacts, and participant observations in some field sites. After the field trip, students will use their findings to curate a summer field trip exhibition at Hui Gallery, CUHK (Oct, 2017)

The summer field trip will be a rewarding and unique life experience for anthropology students to understand culture of another place. Do not miss this great learning opportunity. Click here for more details: http://arts.cuhk.edu.hk/~ant/en/pdf/ANTH3321.pdf

[Cultural Heritage Talk Series 2016: Recap] Imagining Angkor: Politics, Myths, and Archaeology

Imagining Angkor: Politics, Myths, and Archaeology 

(想像吳哥：政治、神話與考古)

Speaker: Prof. Miriam Stark (Department of Anthropology, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa)

Time: 4:00 - 6:00 pm, 14^th October, 2016 (Friday)

Venue: Lecture Theatre (L1), Institute of Chinese Studies, CUHK

Text: Sarah Chong (Research Assistant)

Angkor, as the capital city of the Khmer Empire for several centuries, has been mysterious and alluring in the eyes of many people. On 14th October 2016, our department and the Centre for Cultural Heritage Studies invited Prof. Miriam Stark from the Department of Anthropology, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa to give a public lecture on Angkor, helping to unveil the mystery of this place. The public lecture was co-organized by the Institute of Chinese Studies, Chiang Ching-kuo Asia-Pacific Centre for Chinese Studies, and the École française d'Extrême-Orient (EFEO). The history of Khmer Empire and Angkor, dating back to the 9^th century all the way to the 15^th century, have been the study interest of scholars of different fields. Prof. Stark adopted a historical approach to present her arguments and highlighted the importance of Angkor as a cultural heritage. Three major topics—politics, myths and archaeology—were discussed in the talk.

Prof. Miriam Stark giving the public lecture

Angkor is “intrinsically political”, as Prof. Stark described. It has been regarded as a representation of the entire country. Angkor Wat was always the key element on the national flags of Cambodia in different regime—from the flag of the French Protectorate of Cambodia starting from the Mid-19^th century, to the flag of the Kingdom of Cambodia between 1950 and 1970 and the flag of the Democratic Kampuchea (the period of the Khmer Rouge). Prof. Stark emphasized that even today Angkor Wat has an important role to play not only in the national flag of Cambodia, but also in people’s everyday life. For instance, the image of Angkor Wat as well as the slogan “My Country, My Beer” can be found on the packaging of one of the most popular beer brands in Cambodia.

The myths of Angkor have also framed the ways people view the past of Cambodia. In her talk, Prof. Stark discussed how Angkor has been imagined or interpreted by different groups of people. The European, as the outsiders, tend to portray Angkor with the image of Angkor Wat. The Musée Guimet in Paris has significant collections of the Pre-Angkorian and Angkorian artifacts and the replicas of Cambodian ancient temples’ fabrics. The Khmer, as the insiders, link up Angkor with different symbolic meanings. For the locals, Angkor is the key of their national identity and the sacred place of religion. Even when the Cambodian people moved to the refugee camp in Philippine during the Khmer Rouge regime, they built the model of Angkor Wat there, reflecting the importance of Angkor to them. Angkor, being a basic component of the Khmer identity, has significant influence on how people define Cambodia as well as how the Cambodian define their nation state.

“If you want to understand Angkor, you must do archaeology,” Prof. Stark said. Prof. Stark emphasized how archaeology plays its role in reconstructing the picture of Angkor. Archaeological research helps to reveal the history of Cambodia from the early historic period (500 BCE), to the Pre-Angkorian period (500 CE), as well as the Angkorian period (1000 CE) and the collapse of Angkor (1500 CE). Prof. Stark also talked about the Greater Angkor Project III, which is a collaboration of various institutes. The project sheds light on the Angkorian urbanism in different periods. Prof. Stark shared her experience of participating in the project, with a special focus on the archaeological research on people’s lives in the past, including their residential pattern, where they lived and how they used the space.

The audience

People from different countries are doing archaeological research in Cambodia now. Prof. Stark pointed out that development is an opportunity for the country but at the same time a very big challenge to Cambodia’s archaeological record. Fortunately, the Ministry of Environment and other stakeholders have been working together to ensure the protection of heritage and the continuous development of economy.

[Event] I Am A Woman: An Evening to Celebrate International Women’s Day (我是女性: 慶祝“國際婦女日”之夜)

Let's celebrate the International Women’s Day on March 8th! Featuring 7 women from all walks of life, this event will celebrate women in all of their diversity through stories and food. Talk topics will include science, race, motherhood, empowerment (English), power, sexual orientation and religion (Cantonese).

Date:	8 Mar (Wed)
Venue:	LT7, 3/F Cheng Yu Tung Building (CYT) CUHK (near Hyatt Regency Shatin)
RSVP:	bit.ly/iamawoman
Programme:
6.15pm	Registration
6.30pm	English presentations
7.40pm	Food reception
8.00pm	Cantonese presentations
9.00pm	End of event

ALL Participants – regardless of gender- are welcome to participate in this celebration! Co-organised by the CUHK Centre for Global Health and Gender Studies Programme, this event will also feature an educational display about local organisations fighting to promote gender equality.