University

Person, Position

Miscellaneous Relevant Comments

Resources for Students?

CMA Classes?

Faculty Interest?

Brown University

William Beeman

x

This is a vague question. I can say that we would welcome anyone who wishes to do this kind of research, and Brown has numerous facilities for carrying out such research. Our department encourages cross-disciplinary research and encourage our students to take courses in appropriate other departments. We have yet to have a Ph.D. thesis dealing with what you would call CMA, but we have had several M.A. theses that have dealt with these topics. We have at least six Ph.D. graduates working in the computer field for companies like Intel and Microsoft, mostly dealing with patterns in cross-cultural computer usage.

Not at present, but we are capable of doing so, and frequently entertain independent study in these areas.

Yes, several of us do. I am perhaps the most active.

Bucknell University

(Anonymous)

x

no formal program of instruction, individual professors have Internet assignments

none

not so far

California State University, Fullerton

(Anonymous)

I did not see anything in our catalogue on these issues

I saw nothing computer related being offered; I must say the term computer-mediated is a little ambiguous for me; however, there was  nothing being offered that was computer related.  (although all students  use the web/google for research, I include American Anthropologist online for  example; Questia is another online resource) 

I saw none being offered.

I am unaware of this,but I am a new graduate  student.  I personally have some interests.

California State University, Fullerton

(Anonymous)

x

Our department has an excellent computer lab that can accommodate 25 students at a time, and a full-time specialist who can help them use the facility.  All of our faculty are at least minimally computer literate, and many have exceptional skills in this area.Some of us make extensive use of the computer, and especially the Internet,for our own research.Based on these resources, we could support more of a focus on what you call CMA.

While we do not currently offer specific classes on this topic, it is a University policy that all students be competent at using the computer and accessing the internet.Many of our students have interests in cyber culture, and it is possible for them to pursue these interests within the context of many of the classes we do offer.For example, I have taught our course inethnographic methods and have permitted students with well-crafted research designs to do projects on this topic.I also allowed this in my graduate course in transnationalism. We offer two senior level courses (independent study, ethnographic investigatitons) that allow students to develop and carry out their own projects under the supervision of a particular faculty member.These are also conducive to those students wishing to research cyber culture.

I do.  I have been conducting research on recent African immigrants in the diaspora, particularly in North America, and have made extensive use of the internet in my work.  Recently I have been analyzing Somali web sites, especially for information on transnationalism and gender issues.

Columbus State Community College

James Stewart

x

None. We are a two year institution. We do teach students how to use computers in doing anthropology, though.

Only web-based classes for undergraduates.

No. Again, computers are seen as a tool, not as an object of study.

Duke University

(Anonymous)

x

At the moment, not much. But we do offer a course on cyborgs (the techno/human interface) at the UG level.

As above, yes. We offer a class on cyborgs that has been taught three times: once by me, once by Diane Nelson (also in our dept) and once, co-taught by [Anne Allison] and two other profs, one in Philosophy (who specializes in artificial intelligence) and one in Women's Studies (who, aslo an ethicist, works on genetics, reproductive technologies, technologies of life and dying). This is an UG course.

Yes: Diane Nelson and [Anne Allison]] do.

El Camino Community College

(Anonymous)

x

We are a community college. We have few students with definable "research interests." I have had a few students use the internet for observation and studies, but they have used their own machines. We do have a computer hooked up to the colleges' ethernet system which my students use in searching for relevant information and visuals for my museum studies class.

No, just online versions of my own standard courses.

None that I am aware.

Franklin & Marshall College

Misty L.Bastian, Associate Professor and Chair

x

Well, I have been doing some "cyber-ethnography" since about 1996, so I can at least speak to the issues involved in doing this work. I regularly speak with students who want to work with lists or in chatrooms--and now with blogs, etc. But I prefer for students to work first with people they can see and talk with, I have to admit, just because I realize all the limitations of the "computer-mediated."

We are an undergraduate, liberal arts college, and we have a small faculty. We have to offer courses that will interest larger numbers of majors and non-majors. Right now there is no specialized course on this topic, but I would be happy to see one --although I'm probably the person who will have to take the initiative and actually do it, so am not sure when.

That would be me, the current chair of the department. ;-) I first worked with members of a West African list between 1996 and about 1998-99, and I've published one piece based specifically on that research. I've also done some work with bloggers from the same West African country where I first did my fieldwork back in the late 1980s. This hasn't yet come out anywhere.

Hofstra University

(Anonymous)

We do not have a graduate program.I am the only member who is interested in the internet and anthro.

x

x

x

Iowa State University

(Anonymous)

x

None.

No.

No

Lawrence University

(Anonymous)

x

We have had several students interested in anthropology of the Internet, and indeed we used to have a course called "Cyberculture" (the faculty member who taught it retired two years ago).We have no special resources for these students other than typical web tools.

As I said, we used to, but the faculty member who taught the course retired and the replacement we hired does not have the interest/expertise.

Not at present