Anthropology Newsletter

The Anthropology Department is pleased to welcome Professor Manju Nichani, of Bombay, India, as visiting professor at Union during the Spring Term 2004. Her visit is part of Union’s faculty exchange program with a confederation of colleges in Bombay affiliated with the University of Mumbai.

Her areas of specialization include Gender Studies & Women and Law in India. She has devoted her work to equipping students with life skills and human values helping them become responsible citizens. She has presented papers at national and regional level seminars and conferences in India and has gathered wide experience through travel to many parts of the world. Prof. Nichani has been a visiting professor at the State University of New York at Albany and the Valdosta State University, Florida.

Listed below are the two courses she will be teaching during the Spring 2004 term:

Gender and Sexuality in South Asia (ANT 26)

This course will address a series of related themes. It will look at how differences in kinship systems and family structures account for critical variations in the ways in which gender operates in different societies. It aims at getting a fine understanding of gender and its linkages to power relationships in family and in class and caste permeated society, identifying gender linked values and stereotypes in our life experience and understanding the system of patriarchy and its institutions through which women are oppressed and exploited. (This course is cross-listed with East Asian Studies and Women’s Studies.)

Religion, Caste and Class in India (ANT 31)

No contemporary society or nation state in the world can claim such a staggering variety of religions, languages, caste and lifestyles as India. No wonder Vincent Smith, a British historian described Indian society as a land of unity in diversity. This course introduces students into the sociocultural fabric of Indian society. It looks at factors of diversity in India in terms of caste, class and religion, and how Indian society, despite its enormous diversity, has been highly resilient and eclectic. It also includes an insightful analysis of the caste system in India, throwing light on the different theories of origins of the caste system, its distinctive features, the Dalit and Brahmanical perspectives on caste system, mapping the changes in the institution of caste over a period of time, and concludes with a discussion on the interface between caste and class in contemporary India. (cross-listed with East Asian Studies and Women’s Studies.)

Prof. Steve Jones describes his Spring 2004 Courses

Markets and money are so deeply rooted in the American mindset that, for many, it's impossible to conceive of any economic system that doesn't put a price on everything. Yet most cultures of the past had very different ideas on how people should trade, how they should "bank" their surplus, and how they should feel about the people with whom they traded. They came up with a great variety of "economic" or exchange systems, which served a surprising variety of social needs. These systems can teach us much about how humans interrelate, and also give us a better perspective on the economic relations we've chosen for ourselves. We will be reading perhaps the first and foremost account of non-market systems, The Gift by Marcel Mauss, along with another major landmark text by Marshall Sahlins and numerous articles illuminating unusual practices around the world.

Ecology proposes that there are dynamic and indivisible relationships between organisms and their environments. Today, fields from medicine to business analysis are tapping this viewpoint to gain new understanding for how things actually work. But the view that humans may be part of ecosystems — and that cultures may be viewed as ecosystems that individuals must adapt to is one of those notions so obvious they are perpetually ignored. Some people even vehemently deny it. This course examines the philosophies behind ecology, the application of ecology to human behavior and social systems, and the importance of ecological concepts to solving environmental and social crises of our time. Study will include societies, both past and present, archaeological and ethnographic.

Prof. Mark Walker to Teach on Neanderthals

As part of the spring offerings in the Anthropology Department, Prof. Mark Walker of the History Department will teach a cross-listed course on Neanderthals. This course will examine how scientists, writers, museums, and artists have interpreted the Neanderthals (an archaic type of human that lived in Europe from 200,000 to 30,000 B.C.) from the first discoveries of Neanderthal remains in the nineteenth century to the present, including, in particular, the interaction of Neanderthals and early modern humans. The Neanderthals have always served as a "dark mirror," reflecting back what we see, hope to see, or are afraid to see in ourselves.

Prof. Sharon Gmelch writes from

Tasmania Term Abroad

All the students are now settled with homestay families in the Hobart area and busy getting into their research. The topics they're exploring include local politics, ecotourism, Tasmanian Aborginal identity, conservation activism, the education of disabled children, "wildlife careers," the immigrant experience, and local artisans. "We had a wonderful two-week trip from Sydney to Melbourne and then across the Bass Strait to Tasmania," reports Sharon Gmelch. "We have been able to see and do lot, including having an all-day workshop with an Aboriginal artist, staying on a 3,000 hectare 'property' (cattle ranch) for two days, learning to play didgeridoos, and sighting wombats, sulfur-crested cockatoos, kangaroos, wallabies, and more." The Tasmanians are very friendly, and the scenery is spectacular. Everyone is excited about their research and looking forward to the rest of the term

The Social Science Faculty Lounge Gallery was home to the 2004 Collaborative Quilt Show this past term.

Showcased in the exhibit were the quilts of five local quilters – Barbara Meilinger (who gathered the quilts and hung the pieces) is a resident of Voorheesville, NY. She has quilted for 30 years, beginning as a traditional quilter but now involved with story quilts. Other exhibitors were Julie Stump, a librarian from Delmar, NY, Carol Tashjian who paints on fabric and specializes in tropical and Native American design, Linda Lee Carannell, also of Voorheesville, who likes incorporating old and ugly fabric into traditional quilt patterns, and Elizabeth T. Smith (age 94) who has been hooked on quilting since she first tried it in 1973. Elizabeth’s vibrant quilts reflect the influence of internationally known designer Kaffee Fassett.

The exhibit, which was arranged by Deborah Ludke, Secretary for Union College Department of Anthropology and Union Scholars Program, ran through March 10th. It was a pleasure to warm up the lounge in winter with pieces that were, for sure, "Not your mother's quilts!"

Partnership for Global Education at Union

by Amanda Haag '04

This past fall I began working as an International Cultural Assistant for the Partnership For Global Education (PGE), a job which entails many tasks related to terms abroad and learning about foreign cultures at Union. This role primarily consists of dealing with students leaving and reentering Union after their term abroad, International students studying at Union, and creating and executing programs designed to promote cultural awareness and diversity.

Aside from dealing with the orientation and reentry for students on terms abroad, several new programs are in the works, such as a weekly international radio show, a photo contest, and dinner and discussion events.

Broadcasting of “Radio Mundo,” an hour long radio show, began third week of winter term, and focuses on a different region and type of music each week. The first show dealt with contemporary music of Japan, and included commentary by Prof. Matsue, who is teaching a class on contemporary Japanese society at Union. Shows often feature students who have been on terms abroad, who discuss their experience, and music from the region they visited. Upcoming shows will explore the music of Mexico and Union’s term abroad in Quernavaca, Korean Hip-Hip, and the music of India. The show broadcasts each Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Other PGE programs to look for include “Culture and Cuisine,” and culturally aware movies such as “Kundun” and “The Buena Vista Social Club” taking place Thursdays in the Reamer Campus Center.

Alumni News

“Hello from New York City!” writes Caroline Hepner ’00. She tells us, “I just got an email from Whitney Davis '00 and it made me nostalgic for good old Union. Things are going great here. I’m living in Hoboken (birthplace of baseball) and working on Wall Street in commercial real estate (can you believe I graduated from law school already?) Our NY Bar results come out tomorrow! Tell everyone I said “Hi.””

Brad Bartolomeo ’00 writes, “Enclosed is a copy of my most recent success, “Up To The Roof, a 17 minute film that has been the focus of my life over the past two years. It premiered this past summer at the Dahlongea International Film Festival in Georgia and my hopes are that this success is indicative of better things to come!” Brad lives at 17 Danton Lane North, Lattingtown, N.Y. 11560 and his email is Bart1919@aol.com.

Emily Sparks '00 writes, “I just wanted to you know that I love getting the anthropology newsletter, and that this mailing propelled me to tell you about my summer trip leading a group of high school students in the rural Dominican Republic through Putney Student Travel. It was a great work experience, though different from anything else I've done.

Being in charge is HARD! I think I can say that I can somewhat relate to running "the Anthropology term abroad." Of course these were high school students, and we did a community service trip, so the focus wasn't specifically academic, but the students did have the intention of learning about and living in a culture different from their own. WOW what an amazing amount of work it was! 16 kids, to adults (myself and a just-graduated Bates student), a Dominican youth group out to help out with the community service project, a drunken foreman, a 4-wheel drive jeep, the list goes on. We were in a sleepy rural village with sparse electricity, sleeping in a school. Our view of the sea was beautiful, and we built a fence, did an environmental education project, as well as taught English. Nothing was set up when we arrived, so we planned it all, including weekend excursions, transportation, etc...., hired a cook, balanced our budget, etc.

I think I now have somewhat of an idea of what you have gone through setting up one of these terms abroad. Arriving in the beginning, and planning everything out with the village community board, meeting everyone was wonderful, a real "field-work" experience. When the students arrived things became difficult, because we had the demands of the group's goals (our company), the Dominicans' goals (trying to stay gracious in the eyes of our host, no matter what they thought we should do), as well as the biggest job-- keeping those 16 teenagers interested, and out of trouble, with minimum whining.

Well, I think I’ve rambled on, I just want to thank you for giving me the only experience that could have possibly prepared me for this, though I think I saw it from the other side this time.

Spring 2004 Course Schedule

Notes from the Chair

By Karen Brison

Winter term has been very quiet in the anthropology department, with Sharon and George away in Tasmania, Steve Leavitt over in the Dean of Students office, and Linda Cool on leave. Steve Jones, Deb and I have been holding down the fort on the home front. I have been making the best of a very bitter, snowy winter here by skiing with my son, Jeffrey, and otherwise holing up in my office and cranking the heat up.

Spring promises to be a more lively term. I will be teaching Introduction to Cultural Anthropology for the first time since I have been at Union. If you have fond memories of any favorite books assigned to you in Anthropology 10, do email in your suggestions! George Gmelch will be teaching another section of Anthropology 10 and a section of Sport, Society and Culture. He and Ted Gilman (Political Science) have invited in a series of speakers to give talks on sport, culture and society so this promises to be interesting. I also encourage you to take courses with our visitor from Bombay, Prof. Manju Nichani, who will be offering courses on gender, religion, and caste in India. Steve Jones will also be teaching a new course, Gifts and Exchange, on economics in small scale societies, which should be an interesting addition to our current offerings.

Winter 2004

Prof. Manju Nichani Visiting

from Bombay Spring 2004