ASA 2008 in Auckland

The Association of Social Anthropologists of the UK and Commonwealth (ASA) is holding its 2008 meeting in Aukland, NZ, for a pleasantly antipodean change; it will be the first time in at least five years that the conference will be held outside of the British Isles, and the first time ever for it to be held in New Zealand. They are joining with the ASAANZ (Association of Social Anthropologists of Aotearoa/New Zealand), and the AAS (Australian Anthropological Society).

The conference theme is Ownership and Appropriation, which “aims to extend anthropological theory, by shifting the focus from ‘property’ and ‘property relations’ to notions and acts of ‘owning and appropriating’.” The deadline for proposed panels is March 1st and the deadline for paper abstracts is May 1st. The conference will be held from 8-12 December. I wish I could say “join us!” but I won’t be attending as I have already planned to be doing fieldwork in Cairo that December. Instead, let me urge you to join them — them including, among others, superstar anthropologist, dear friend, and former Princetonian Susanna Trnka, who is at the University of Auckland, which is hosting the event.

L.L. Wynn