Dr Piers Locke is a social anthropologist at The University of Wales, Lampeter, specialising in human-animal relations (anthrozoology), occupational communities, apprenticeship learning, and the anthropology of South Asia. His primary field research comprises the first ever ethnographic study of captive elephant management.
He has recently given a paper at the meeting of the Association of Asian Studies (AAS) meeting in Chicago and co-convened a panel at the Association of Social Anthropologists (ASA) meeting in Bristol, where he also gave a paper and presented his film 'Servants of Ganesh: Inside The Elephant Stable'. He is writing a book titled 'Servants of Ganesh: Elephant Handlers in Nepal'. His forthcoming articles are on topics including: practice, enclavement and identity; commitment and personhood; the history of the elephant stable and the Nepali state; elephant training as a rite of initiation for elephant and trainer; and the elephant in relation to understandings of domestication.
In collaboration with Professor David Zeitlyn, he is also currently conducting a research project on anthropologists' careers, the history of anthropology at Kent, and the effects of the audit culture.
He is also developing further projects in Nepal on knowledge and the politics of expertise, and a life-history study of a senior elephant handler.
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Gordon, R.J., 1992. The Making of the "Bushmen". Anthropologica, 34(2), 183-202.
Robins, S., 2001. NGOs, 'Bushmen' and Double Vision: The ≠ Khomani San Land Claim and the Cultural Politics of 'Community' and 'Development' in the Kalahari. Journal of Southern African Studies, 27(4), 833-853.
Sylvain, R., 2002. "Land, Water, and Truth": San Identity and Global Indigenism. American Anthropologist, 104(4), 1074-1085.
Sylvain, R., 2005. Disorderly Development: Globalization and the Idea of "Culture" in the Kalahari. American Ethnologist, 32(3), 354-370.
And a shameless plug:
Francis, Michael and Suzanne Francis. 2010 'Representation and misrepresentation: San regional advocacy and the global imagery'. Critical Arts 24(2): 40-57.
Francis, Michael (2009) ‘Silencing the past: Historical and archaeological colonisation of the Southern San KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa’. Anthropology Southern Africa Vol 32 (3 & 4).
In other news:
I am fascinated by human animal interaction in part from my farming background but also in the Kalahari they make use of these wonderful hunting dogs to corner antelope as the group I work with does not use poison to hunt as others do. I loved the dogs so much I brought one back from South Africa. I look forward to checking out your film.
Given your pedigree we must have met many times. It is just that my brain clearly never clocked it. I was at the RAI Fest in Kent. At the moment I am teaching a module in Practical EWthnographic Filmmaking at UCL Anthro Dept.
Great to hear that you know dear Denis Whyte - an old mate, who produced a number of filmns that I directed.
I wouldlike to attach a file of the catalogue of films that I can send you. I can't do it on this system, so email me at mike@upsidefilms.co.uk
Best wishes, Mike Yorke
I'm pleased to hear that you have quickly found it fruitful and share my optimism about what's been started here. I sincerely hope that the other members will also choose to persevere with the site despite a few bumpy elements in its beginnings. It was, and remains, a grassroots effort with lots of potential. After all, can anyone realistically expect a room full of anthropologists to agree, let alone nearly 2000 of them?
I'm familiar with Moodle, but haven't used it for teaching until this year, because Kent has only embraced it since I've been in the field. I definitely see the potential for the OAC to complement Moodle and other virtual tools for learning and teaching, especially at a distance. I'm putting together a course wiki for one of the seminars I'm teaching, mostly on a trial and error basis. I'm also considering working in some exercises with the OAC, perhaps as a task for students to find new material that they wouldn't otherwise encounter in the library, plus the chance to connect with other teachers and students from outside the department. Such a large group of community-minded anthropologists is a great resource.
Anyway, welcome!
Fran