Comments on: Good Company http://www.ethnography.com/2007/10/good-company/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=good-company A group blog on a wide variety of topics realted to anthropology Sat, 31 Jul 2010 01:50:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Tony http://www.ethnography.com/2007/10/good-company/comment-page-1/#comment-109 Tony Sun, 04 Nov 2007 07:37:09 +0000 http://www.ethnography.com/2007/10/good-company/#comment-109 The Chico State Anthro Department is known for it's sociality, and it is dominated by...various kinds of archaeologists. However, in support of the socio-cultural anthropologists, they do contribute to the overall levels of sociality in the department. Both the archaeologists and cultural anthropologists are pretty open to the participation of the occasional wayward sociologist as well! The Chico State Anthro Department is known for it’s sociality, and it is dominated by…various kinds of archaeologists. However, in support of the socio-cultural anthropologists, they do contribute to the overall levels of sociality in the department. Both the archaeologists and cultural anthropologists are pretty open to the participation of the occasional wayward sociologist as well!

]]> By: Cindy http://www.ethnography.com/2007/10/good-company/comment-page-1/#comment-97 Cindy Thu, 25 Oct 2007 05:33:21 +0000 http://www.ethnography.com/2007/10/good-company/#comment-97 "Tee hee hee," said the archaeologist who planned parties with Donna in grad school! As you point out, there is a certain kind of, dare I say it, natural selection in the discipline. The archetypal socio-cultural anthro. project is one where the researcher arrives alone in a place where he/she will be an outsider. The archetypal archaeological project is one that involves several coolers of beer and prolonged periods of intense interpersonal interaction 24/7. Here the project's success hinges on the principal investigator's ability to keep many of his/her fellow archaeologists happy both in the field and in the fieldhouse (hence the frequent need for much cheap liquor). Sure we need to know how to dig our way out of a paperbag, as they say, but we also have to be prepared to be the chief financial officer, house-mother, house-manager, personal therapist, group-therapist, cruise-director, and so very much more. (Those of you who are familiar with any of the roles I listed above will quickly understand how cheap liquor becomes a staple.) To non-archaeology grad students this scenario can seem a tad nightmarish... apparently they've never had to yell at their PhD advisor to get his own damned underwear out of the dryer right before they negotiate some critical part of a research project. Now...a sidenote to all those smartalecks (you know who you are) who are going to be tempted to write in and say that anthropological linguists talk too much or that physical anthropologists only love you for your body - spare us - the archaeologists have already told that joke - and it's funnier when you're drunk. Cheers, Donna! I miss you, too! Love, Cindy “Tee hee hee,” said the archaeologist who planned parties with Donna in grad school!

As you point out, there is a certain kind of, dare I say it, natural selection in the discipline.

The archetypal socio-cultural anthro. project is one where the researcher arrives alone in a place where he/she will be an outsider. The archetypal archaeological project is one that involves several coolers of beer and prolonged periods of intense interpersonal interaction 24/7. Here the project’s success hinges on the principal investigator’s ability to keep many of his/her fellow archaeologists happy both in the field and in the fieldhouse (hence the frequent need for much cheap liquor).

Sure we need to know how to dig our way out of a paperbag, as they say, but we also have to be prepared to be the chief financial officer, house-mother, house-manager, personal therapist, group-therapist, cruise-director, and so very much more. (Those of you who are familiar with any of the roles I listed above will quickly understand how cheap liquor becomes a staple.)

To non-archaeology grad students this scenario can seem a tad nightmarish… apparently they’ve never had to yell at their PhD advisor to get his own damned underwear out of the dryer right before they negotiate some critical part of a research project.

Now…a sidenote to all those smartalecks (you know who you are) who are going to be tempted to write in and say that anthropological linguists talk too much or that physical anthropologists only love you for your body – spare us – the archaeologists have already told that joke – and it’s funnier when you’re drunk.

Cheers, Donna! I miss you, too!
Love, Cindy

]]> By: Jennifer http://www.ethnography.com/2007/10/good-company/comment-page-1/#comment-95 Jennifer Tue, 23 Oct 2007 14:27:10 +0000 http://www.ethnography.com/2007/10/good-company/#comment-95 I can give an example of the undergraduate atmosphere. There are a lot of social events in the anthropology department at Fresno State. I've been told that it hasn't always been this way. However, currently there are "Anthro Social" nights once a month where we all get together for pizza (students and faculty), and then there are generally parties at the beginning and end of the semester. These events are usually planned by faculty or sometimes the anthropology club. But they do allow all the anthropology students and faculty to get to know each other better. But I have seen what you are speaking of Donna. Each summer there is a dig that students go on, I believe, mostly archaeologists. I think it is because of that 3 week dig that many of those students know each other much better and on a closer level. I guess camping out for three weeks would require that you become pretty close with the company you have. I can give an example of the undergraduate atmosphere. There are a lot of social events in the anthropology department at Fresno State. I’ve been told that it hasn’t always been this way. However, currently there are “Anthro Social” nights once a month where we all get together for pizza (students and faculty), and then there are generally parties at the beginning and end of the semester. These events are usually planned by faculty or sometimes the anthropology club. But they do allow all the anthropology students and faculty to get to know each other better.

But I have seen what you are speaking of Donna. Each summer there is a dig that students go on, I believe, mostly archaeologists. I think it is because of that 3 week dig that many of those students know each other much better and on a closer level. I guess camping out for three weeks would require that you become pretty close with the company you have.

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