Anthropology Activities and Events @ USC

To follow is a partial list of activities and events that occur regularly within the anthropology department.
(Text in red is linked to other sites)

Visual

Margaret Mead Film and Video Festival

The American Museum of Natural History's Margaret Mead Film and Video Festival was organized in New York in 1977 in recognition of Margaret Mead's pioneering use of film to document culture. Margaret Mead was one of the first to recognize the significance of using film in fieldwork. From 1936 to 1938 she worked among the Balinese with husband Gregory Bateson and cinematographer Jane Belo and produced the now classic titles, TRANCE AND DANCE IN BALI, LEARNING TO DANCE IN BALI and KARBA'S FIRST YEARS.

The festival has been devoted to realizing Mead's goal of informing "general audiences" about similarities and differences in cultural practices. Although most of the films and videos are produced by independent artists, about 20 percent of the works each year have some anthropological input, whether it be director, producer or researcher.

Local hosts at the University of Southern California have sponsored highlights of the New York festival since 1994.

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Colloquium

From time to time, the Anthropology department sponsors guest lecturers who visit USC share their current research, and engage in dialog with the faculty and students. Speakers in recent years have included:

Jane Goodall

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Special

Kaleidoscope of Cultures Film Festival

A CELEBRATION IN FILM OF THE CULTURAL DIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

MARCH 23-MARCH 25, 2000

This series of screenings, presentations, and discussions was a means of reuniting a number of alumni of the Visual Anthropology program. The web site includes numerous links to projects produced by students at USC.

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Graduate

Anthropology Student Senate (ASS)

The Anthropology Student Senate is dedicated to serving the needs of the anthropology graduate students, and promoting the practice and teaching of anthropology in the USC community. Methods include the sponsorship of academic and social events, and the yearly planning and coordation of the Margaret Mead film festival.

Dissertation Writing Group

Under the guidance of Professor Janet Hoskins, advanced graduate students who are in (or nearing) the process of writing their dissertations meet on a regular basis to share perspectives, offer feedback, and critique eachother's work. The group has proven invaluable to many graduate students over the years as they make their way through this challenging process.

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