UGNAYANG PANG-AGHAMTAO, INC. (UGAT)
Anthropological Association of the Philippines
in partnership with
Central Mindanao University (CMU)
Philippine Social Science Council (PSSC)
33rd Annual Conference
AGHAMTAONG KAAGAPAY: ANTHROPOLOGY CARES FOR ITS PUBLICS
20-22 October 2011
Central Mindanao University, Musuan, Bukidnon
Anthropologists here and abroad have increasingly recognized the urgent need to make anthropological knowledge not only accessible but also instructive to the wider publics to which it should be accountable. This is in part a way to dispel the stereotypical view that anthropologists are simply preoccupied with esoteric, distant, and exotic topics.
Over the years, UGAT has, through its annual conferences and other special projects, managed to set the stage for multi-sectoral participation in the discussion of compelling social, including political and economic, and cultural issues affecting Philippine society. We realize, however, that making anthropology deeply-engaged and relevant in the public interest arena has not been systematically assessed and may leave much to be desired. Anthropologists have yet to actively forge a theory and practice of public anthropology aimed principally at non-academic audiences, one that upholds the transformative potentials of anthropological knowledge.
We have to begin to ask how the current engagement of anthropologists in the public arena through rights-based advocacy, policy-making, institution building, media presence (e.g., television interviews, writing regular newspaper columns), signing in public statements and manifestos, conducting impact assessments, managing museums and cultural events, blogging, and other means of participating in the public sphere, have contributed to the practice of public anthropology in the Philippines that is simultaneously constructive, collaborative, and ethical.
This year’s conference invites paper and panel proposals that will generate innovative analyses and insights into the following topical areas:
- Commentaries on current participation of anthropologists and related practitioners in the public arena
- Development of processes and strategies towards greater visibility of anthropology and anthropologists in the public sphere
- Ways towards ethical collaborative engagements and critique between anthropologists and their publics (e.g., indigenous peoples, migrant communities, media practitioners, policy-makers, government officials, educators, health practitioners, legislators, lawyers, corporate groups, donors, dealer of artefacts, curators, and other interest groups)
- Constructive and collaborative anthropological engagements in knowledge production, application, and dissemination (e.g., census, social policy and program development, public health, disaster management, education, heritage conservation, environmental and social impact assessments)
- Critical reflections on rights/social justice-based community partnerships (e.g., issue-oriented mobilization, community-based development planning, and anthropologist-local actor co-authorship in knowledge production)
GUIDELINES ON ABSTRACT SUBMISSIONS
- Abstracts should strictly be no more than 250 words.
- Authors must indicate the topical area in which their paper/panel proposals may fall.
- Abstracts should be written in a style that is accessible to non-academic audiences.
- Submissions should include the author’s name, institutional affiliation, and contact information (e-mail address, telephone number, and mailing address).
- Abstracts should be sent to ugat.conference@gmail.com by 15 JULY 2011.
- For students, please indicate your intent to join the Student Paper Competition. The best entry will be considered for publication in the Aghamtao, the official journal of UGAT.
- For other inquiries, please contact the UGAT Conference Secretariat at 0917-8452788 (Ms. Acel German)/0906-2285977 (Ms. Lauren Villarama) or e-mail address ugat.conference@gmail.com.
