CFP for AJJ 2013 Autumn Meeting

CFP for AJJ (Anthropologist of Japan in Japan) 2013 Autumn Meeting
November 9-10 at International Christian University, Tokyo

“People, Places, and Practices Redux: Border Crossing and
Questioning Boundaries in Anthropology and the Study of Japan”

Dates:  Saturday, November 9 & Sunday, November 10, 2013
Place: International Christian University (ICU) Mitaka, Tokyo
(http://www.icu.ac.jp/access.html)

To submit an abstract, please send an email with your name, affiliation, a title, and abstract of 300 words in English (1,000 letters in Japanese) to the organizers below.
The deadline for abstracts is: Sunday, September 15

Fees:
Registration 3,000 yen
Optional Reception 2,000 yen

*Please indicate in your email if you will “ATTEND” or “NOT ATTEND” the reception.

Conference Organizers:
Etsuko Kato (katoets@icu.ac.jp)
Gavin Whitelaw (whitelaw@icu.ac.jp)

CONFERENCE OVERVIEW

Within everyday life and academic spheres, the effectiveness of borders is said to be receding. Scholars argue that the hallmark of globalization’s current phase is cultural hybridity, an intensified awareness of “the world”, and more rapid forms of exchange between groups and individuals across the globe. Within the study of Japan, researchers readily borrow methods and share ideas in an attempt to keep up with emerging cultural phenomena. At the same time, qualitative research may still reify disciplinary distinctions by emphasizing certain kinds of knowledge. Although boundaries and borders may be in flux, people, places, and practices remain critical components to understanding the issues that interest us.

The following conference seeks to bring together a wide range of papers that explore – empirically and/or theoretically – these tendencies and trends within the study of Japan. In what ways does the study of culture(s) in Japan today contribute to the blurring or remaking of disciplinary boundaries? What kinds of approaches are being undertaken to situate the study of Japan in broader, more global contexts? Is the study of Japan the vanguard or stagnant backwater of ethnographic inquiry into contemporary life?

AJJ welcomes scholars from a range of disciplines and backgrounds to present papers that explore these topics through theoretical and fieldwork-driven research. Papers may be given in English or Japanese in hopes of encouraging a robust discussion about new directions in anthropology and Japan studies. Papers and panels that combine several disciplinary perspectives and transverse Japan’s geographic borders are especially encouraged.

Further information about AJJ and a CFP version in Japan can be found on the AJJ website blog:
http://www.ajj-online.net/www.ajj-online.net/Blog/Blog.html