GDAT
The Group for Debates in Anthropological Theory (GDAT)
2012
The concept of neoliberalism has become an obstacle to the anthropological understanding of the twenty-first century
Debaters
The motion will be proposed by James Laidlaw (Cambridge) and Jonathan Mair (Cambridge and Manchester).
It will be opposed by Thomas Hylland Eriksen (Oslo) and Keir Martin (Manchester).
Date & time
Saturday 1st December 2012. 2pm - 6pm.
GDAT is free to attend and everyone is warmly welcomed. We will go for drinks and dinner after the debate - do join us
Venue
Room D7, Renold Building, University of Manchester.
Directions
By Train
The two nearest stations are Manchester Oxford Road and Manchester Piccadilly - in fact to get between them you go through the North Campus and right past the Renold Building.
From Piccadilly Station
Leave Piccadilly by the Fairfield Street Entrance, and cross the junction to be beside the Bull's Head pub. Turn left and go under the railway bridge, and immediately turn right, following the railway viaduct past the Optometry department. You'll pass two large red magnets (it's art....) and ahead, see a glass sided pedestrian bridge on your left, with 'Renold Building' written on it.
From Oxford Road Station
Get off the train at Oxford Road station, and walk down the station approach road to the traffic lights. Turn hard right, and walk down Oxford Road under the railway bridge, keeping the Palace Hotel on your left, until the next set of traffic lights. On your left is the HSBC and opposite that, the BBC - turn left down Charles Street. Walk along Charles Street, at the north side of the BBC, crossing over Princess Street. Follow the slight kink at the end, and you find yourself on the North Campus. In front of you is the Paper Science Department (with a large envelope on the front), and behind that is the Renold Building. The main entrance to the Renold is from Altrincham Terrace - from Charles Street, turn left and walk up Sackville Street, towards the railway viaduct. Turn right, crossing Sackville Street, to follow the flat road along the side of the Security Lodge. The entrance to the Renold Building is across the pedestrian bridge on your right.
By Bus
Travelling by bus from South Manchester, either up Wilmslow Road / Oxford Road or Upper Brook Street.
Get off the bus at the BBC - ask the driver to give you a shout if you're not sure, but it is fairly obvious! Walk along Charles Street, at the north side of the BBC, crossing over Princess Street. Follow the slight kink at the end, and you find yourself on the North Campus. In front of you is the Paper Science Department (with a large envelope on the front), and behind that is the Renold Building. The main entrance to the Renold is from Altrincham Terrace - from Charles Street, turn left and walk up Sackville Street, towards the railway viaduct. Turn right, crossing Sackville Street, to follow the flat road along the side of the Security Lodge. The entrance to the Renold Building is across the pedestrian bridge on your right.
There will be signs pointing you to the correct room once you get to the Renold Building.
The idea
The Group for Debates in Anthropological Theory aims to generate stimulating discussions on anthropological theory through a debate format. The first debate was held in 1988 in Manchester, and the debates became an annual fixture after that. Following a break of 8 years between 1999 and 2007, the annual debate was revived in 2008 with financial support from Critique of Anthropology.
For those of you who have not attended previous debates, the format is as follows. A motion is proposed for debate. Two speakers argue for the motion and two against the motion. Each speaker is given 20 minutes. After a short break, everyone reassembles for questions and general discussion. Finally the motion is put to vote by a show of hands.
Previous Debate Titles
- 1988. Social Anthropology is a Generalizing Science or it is Nothing
- 1989. The Concept of Society is Theoretically Obsolete
- 1990. Human Worlds are Culturally Constructed
- 1991. Language is the Essence of Culture
- 1992. The Past is a Foreign Country
- 1993. Aesthetics is a Cross-Cultural Category
- 1995. Advocacy in Anthropology
- 1996. Cultural Studies will be the Death of Anthropology
- 1997. In Anthropology, the Image Can Never Have the Last Say
- 1999. The Right to Difference is a Fundamental Human Right
- 2008. Ontology is just another word for culture.
- 2009. The anthropological fixation with reciprocity leaves no place for love.
- 2010. The task of anthropology is to invent relations.
- 2011. Non-dualism is philosophy not ethnography.
The first six debates (1988-1993) are available as a book, Key Debates in Anthropology, edited by Tim Ingold (Routledge, 1996). The 2010 debate will be published in Critique of Anthropology in Spring 2012. If you have any enquiries about this, please email Soumhya Venkatesan.
Any questions? Email soumhya.venkatesan@manchester.ac.uk