anthropology
The End of Wonder in the Age of Whatever
New media and technology present us with an overwhelming bounty of tools for connection, creativity, collaboration, and knowledge creation - a true "Age of Whatever" where anything seems possible. But any enthusiasm about these remarkable possibilities is immediately tempered by that other "Age of Whatever" - an age in which people feel increasingly disconnected, disempowered, tuned out, and alienated. Such problems are especially prevalent in education, where the Internet often enters our classrooms as a distraction device rather than a tool for learning.
What is needed more than ever is to inspire our students to wonder, to nurture their appetite for curiosity, exploration, and contemplation. It is our responsibility to help them attain an insatiable appetite and pursue big, authentic, and relevant questions so that they can harness and leverage the bounty of possibility, rediscover the "end" or purpose of wonder, and stave off the historical end of wonder.
The Hatfield-McCoy Feud is now infamous across the country thanks to the mini-series that aired in 2012. Thanks to the help of UK Professor Kim McBride, the National Geographic Channel's "Diggers" recently made an important discovery about this famous feud. "Diggers: Hatfields & McCoys" airs Tuesday, January 29 on National Geographic Channel.
My Old Kentucky Road
Susan Abbott-Jamieson joined UK as an assistant professor of anthropology in 1974, became an associate professor in 1980 and served as the chair of the department from 1990-1994. She retired in 1998 and began an applied research and program-development position with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)/National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). She served as Lead Social Scientist in the NMFS Office of Science and Technology from 2002-2011.
The Politics of Latin American Migration
Professor David Cook-Martin from Grinnell College and Professor Christian Zlolniski from University of Texas will be discussing immigration in politics and beyond.
Contact Carmen Martinez Novo, Director of Latin American, Caribbean and Latino Studies Program: carmen.martinez@uky.edu.