Recent accusations of sexual harassment against prominent anthropologists have forced the discipline to reckon with the structures of academia, including prestige economies and pyramid structures, networks of reciprocity and exchange, and the way these intersect with gender and sexuality. The incoming editors of American Ethnologist invite submissions of articles that engage with these issues for our new special feature on the production of ethnographic knowledge.
The Production of Ethnographic Knowledge is a new feature inspired by American Ethnologist‘s upcoming 50th anniversary. It asks authors to reflect on the strengths and challenges of ethnographic practice and anthropological knowledge in the 21st century. This may include analysing the significance of ethnography for a particular constituency or global community, analysis of the conditions under which anthropological knowledge is produced, new trends in the discipline, and/or the legacy of a specific anthropologist.
Much has been written recently on the topics of gender, sexuality, and anthropology, including: critiques of the ways that the standard of ethnographic fieldwork can be raced, classed, ableist, and gendered; analyses of networks of influence and patronage and denunciation of prestige economies; discussions about anxiety over #metoo overreach; examinations of the links between academic precarity and gender; and calls for change, such as refusing to use recommendation letters. We are looking for contributions that push these valuable reflections further, or in new directions.
Most contributions to The Production of Ethnographic Knowledge will be about 5,000-6,000 words. However, authors may also choose to submit more ethnographically-robust articles addressing these issues, of 9,000 words to a maximum of 11,000 words (including notes and references).
If you have any questions about this feature or want to discuss an idea or angle with AE‘s editors, please feel free to contact Susanna Trnka (incoming Editor-in-Chief), Jesse H. Grayman (incoming associate editor), and Lisa L. Wynn (incoming associate editor) at americanethnologisteditors@gmail.com. You can find out more about AE’s current submission requirements and style guide at https://americanethnologist.org/submit.