Adelaide hosts international anthropology conference

Thursday, 7 December 2017

Native Title's impact on Indigenous Australia, President Trump and populist protests, sexuality and intimacy, religion versus state, nationalism, multiculturalism and racism in Australia are among the many topics to be covered at an international anthropology conference being held in Adelaide next week (11-15 December).

Hosted by the University of Adelaide's Department of Anthropology and Development Studies, the conference – Shifting States – brings almost 500 delegates to Adelaide from across Australia and overseas, including New Zealand, the UK and the US.

Three anthropological associations – the Australian Anthropology Society (AAS), Association of Social Anthropologists of the UK and Commonwealth (ASA) and Association of Social Anthropologists of Aotearoa/New Zealand (ASAANZ) – are collaborating to bring this international event to Adelaide.

Dr Alison Dundon, from the University of Adelaide’s Department of Anthropology and Development Studies and conference convenor, says: “This conference brings to Adelaide internationally renowned scholars to debate key issues in the relationship between people and states, and showcases the research excellence of the University of Adelaide.

“Thinking about the relationship between people and states across the world, and exploring the diverse ways in which they interact, allows us to develop a deeper and more informed understanding of these processes and the impact of states on our everyday lives.”

Speakers will present the latest research into anthropology in a range of fields that impact on our society, such as Professor Ghassan Hage’s keynote address on migration and settlement.

Professor Hage, from the University of Melbourne, will discuss the experiences of belonging by migrant groups. He will point to the sometimes-inadequate concepts of 'citizenship' on which Western countries often base their social and cultural integration policies.

His research has focused on Lebanese migrants, comparing the way in which Lebanese people have migrated to Venezuela, the United States and Australia.

Other keynote speakers are: Professor James Scott (Yale University), Professor Penny Harvey (University of Manchester), Dr Suzi Hutchings (RMIT) and Professor Cris Shore (University of Auckland).

The conference also includes a Native Title workshop, to be held in conjunction with the National Native Title Tribunal and University of Adelaide's School of Law.

For more information about the conference, including the full program of speakers, visit: https://shiftingstates.info

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