Anthro Mini-Lecture: Why Do Anthropologists Dress Like That?

Someone sent me a question! Q: “In photos, I always see anthropologists wearing the same clothes as the people they study. Why do they do that? Is there some kind of rule about this?” A: Clothing is an important part of fieldwork. And by this, I don’t just mean planning for inclement weather or deciding…Continue reading Anthro Mini-Lecture: Why Do Anthropologists Dress Like That?

Anthro Mini-Lecture: Were Ancient Societies Matriarchal?

Someone sent me a question! Q: So I’m reading this book, From Eve to Dawn: A History of Women in the World by Marylin French. It’s in three volumes, the first (obviously) dealing with pre-history. Much of the evidence for claims made in that volume is based on, of course, the anthropological record. As I’m…Continue reading Anthro Mini-Lecture: Were Ancient Societies Matriarchal?

The Rules of Engagement: Or, There is No Peer-Review in Popular Culture

Earlier this morning, while scrolling through my typical line-up of news sources, I happened across an article whose basic gist had to do with the validity of art criticism. In short, the article was a reasonably standard polemic against the existence of art critics. The author took the position that there was no standing for…Continue reading The Rules of Engagement: Or, There is No Peer-Review in Popular Culture