Interactive Table of Contents
Virtual Workshops
Following the success of the virtual workshops in 2020, AAA is continuing to offer virtual workshops outside of the Annual Meeting instead of in-person workshops during the Annual Meeting. Workshops will be hosted the weeks of January 18th and January 24th. The virtual workshops fall into three pre-determined tracks: Career & Professional Development; Technical Skill Development; and Policy Outreach, Engagement, and Advocacy.
Scroll down or use the navigation menu on the left to browse the full list of virtual workshops.
The registration portal for each workshop closes at 11:59 PM ET the day before the workshop is scheduled.
Tuesday, January 18th
Going Up? Offering the Perfect Elevator Pitch
1:00-3:00 PM ET
FREE
You bump into an old acquaintance, or your CEO, or even the head of that grant-funding institution you’ve been pitching for years, and she asks you what you’re up to. Will you stutter, sputter and stammer? Or will you smile and deliver the perfect “elevator pitch” – a brief, persuasive synopsis that you use to spark interest in a project, idea – or yourself. A good elevator pitch should last no longer than a short elevator ride of 20 to 30 seconds, hence the name. By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:
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- Tailor it to your audience
- Make your pitch interesting, memorable, and succinct
- Communicate your unique selling proposition
- Relay exactly who you are, what you do, and how you are adding value.
Click here to register for “Going Up? Offering the Perfect Elevator Pitch”
That Almost Finished Journal Article
Part I: January 18th 4:00-6:00 PM ET
Part II: January 19th 4:00-6:00 PM ET
Part III: January 20th 4:00-6:00 PM ET
Non-Student Rate: $70.00
Student Rate: $35.00
Are you on a third draft of a paper you haven’t submitted? Stuck changing a presentation or dissertation chapter into a research article? Avoiding revisions because of daunting reviewer comments? Do you have questions about peer review and editorial processes? Designed for junior professors, post-docs, graduate students (ABD), and international scholars seeking publication in English-language journals, this 6 hour virtual workshop provides guidelines and feedback to assist you in revising and submitting articles for peer review.
This is a single workshop broken up into three parts. Registering once through the link below gives you access to all three parts. You do not need to register for each part.
Click here to register for “That Almost Finished Journal Article”
Wednesday, January 19th
Teaching with the eHRAF Workbooks
12:00-2:00 PM ET
FREE
As the largest anthropological data bank in the world, the eHRAF databases feature global samples of cultures and traditions, with ethnographic and archaeological data subject-indexed at the paragraph level. In this workshop, we will provide an introduction to HRAF and an overview of our databases, eHRAF World Cultures and eHRAF Archaeology. Participants will learn how to navigate the eHRAF databases. The eHRAF databases are organized by cultures, traditions, regions, sub-regions, samples, and subsistence types. We will cover basic and advanced searching, browsing subjects and cultures or traditions, and saving search results.
Click here to register for “Teaching with the eHRAF Workbooks”
Thursday, January 20th
Experiments in Ethnographic Poetry: the personal, the sensory, the more-than-human
2:00-4:00 PM ET
FREE
The workshop will begin with a discussion, readings, and question time, featuring several practicing anthropologist-poets. Following this, our main focus is on providing an opportunity to practice writing poetically, yourself. The facilitators will lead a series of individual and small-group exercises to assist you to generate new work, and to practice editing it with an eye to poetic technique and its effect.
Click here to register for “Experiments in Ethnographic Poetry”
Friday, January 21st
Precarious Positions: Forging Solidarity in Scholarly Publishing
9:00-11:00 AM ET
FREE
This workshop will feature short presentations by current and former AAA journal editors, interns, and managing staff on their experiences working with a for-profit publishing partner and national scholarly organization, highlighting the experiments they have tried and the challenges they have faced in doing this work. We will focus on creative, concrete strategies and ways we can forge solidarities across the scholarly publishing community.
Click here to register for “Precarious Positions”
Podcasting Virtually: Using Interviews to Expand Course Content
10:00 AM-12:00 PM ET
Non-Student Rate: $20.00
Student Rate: $10.00
Upon completion, participants will be able to…
- Setup a podcast for students working in a virtual environment.
- Facilitate engagement and expansion of course content through interview strategies.
- Use best practices for group collaboration.
Click here to register for “Podcasting Virtually”
Association of University Presses Workshop
12:00-2:00 PM ET
FREE
Learn more about the value of university press publishing, and find which university press is the best fit for you. Learn the basics of book publishing: writing a proposal; finding a press; peer review; the publication process; and successful publication. The Association of University Presses (AUPresses), sponsor of this session, represents over 150 distinguished scholarly presses. At a time of global mergers and consolidation in the media industry, university presses are committed to the furtherance of scholarly excellence and are dedicated to the promotion of rigorous research and emerging areas of scholarship. Learn from seasoned press editors about how their scholarly presses operate and, in particular, the commitment of scholarly presses to peer review and furthering excellence in scholarship. Attendees are invited to ask questions; a Q & A will follow the presentation.
Click here to register for “Association of University Presses Workshop”
Conversation on the Editorial Review Process
4:00-6:00 PM ET
FREE
This workshop is a conversation with Elizabeth Chin, Editor-in-Chief of American Anthropologist. Dr. Chin and Editorial Collective members will discuss the editorial vision, review process, and what we look for in strong submissions. The primary format is Q and A.
Click here to register for “Conversation on the Editorial Review Process”
Monday, January 24th
Grant Writing for the Wenner-Gren Foundation and the NSF
10:00 AM-12:00 PM ET
FREE
Danilyn Rutherford, the president of the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research, and Jeff Mantz, Program Director for Cultural Anthropology at the National Science Foundation, will offer a workshop designed to help anthropologists navigate the process of getting a grant. They’ll describe the various funding opportunities their agencies offer, say something about the review process, and offer helpful tips on how to write a winning proposal. There will be plenty of time for questions. This event will be suitable for students and seasoned scholars alike.
Click here to register for “Grant Writing for the Wenner-Gren Foundation and the NSF”
How to Write for the Public
1:00-3:00 PM ET
FREE
Increasingly, anthropologists are seeking ways to connect their research, discoveries, and thinking to a broad, public audience. But how? This workshop brings together experts to provide insights into the art and craft of public engagement. Chip Colwell, editor-in-chief of Sapiens and Jeff Martin, the AAA’s Director of Communications and Public Affairs, will explain the importance of storytelling and how to write for the public. Workshop participants will learn how to master storytelling techniques that speak to the heart as well as the head, and position yourself as a trusted resource, both with the media and in communities. Participants will also learn how to write for SAPIENS and other public outlets, as you will learn how to build a framework to approach popular writing and an understanding of the publication process. We will close the workshop with a practice “pitch” session, where you get to try out turning your research into a clear, compelling story that will resonate with a general audience. Public engagement is a craft that must be cultivated, so please come join us to sharpen your skills and learn about how you can engage a broad public audience to make your research matter.
Click here to register for “How to Write for the Public”
Teaching Intro
4:00-6:00 PM ET
FREE
Undergraduate students enrolled in introductory cultural anthropology courses, both majors and non-majors, comprise our discipline’s largest public audience. More than a blog post, an op-ed or a citation in a major media piece, the introductory classroom provides anthropologists with opportunities for in-depth and extended presentation of the key research strategies and analytical frameworks of our field. This teaching workshop will explore effective strategies for engaging undergraduates, including consideration of teaching in the online environment.
Click here to register for “Teaching Intro”
Tuesday, January 25th
Documenting Exile: Ethnographies of European immigration camps after COVID-19
9:00-11:00 AM ET
FREE
The aim of this workshop is twofold: first, we will provide practical information and methodological support to those, willing to organise fieldwork in these and other regions in Europe, fieldwork, implying negotiations with NGO-workers, lawyers, local populations, as well as the agents of law enforcement, cost guards, and asylum case-workers; second, we will share our experiences of the recent epidemiological and geopolitical emergencies, such as COVID-19 pandemics, Brexit, recent Franco-British and Greco-Turkish intergovernmental tensions and decisions that affected the lives of the inhabitants of the camps and their alentours and added to the fragmentation of the already complex social fabric of the refugee lives.
Click here to register for “Documenting Exile”
American Indian and Alaskan Native Nations and the AAA
1:00-3:00 PM ET
FREE
The history of American anthropology is inextricably linked to that of American Indian and Alaska Native Nations. Consistent with AAA’s strategic priority to build a culture of trust and accountability within the Association that recognizes past and ongoing harms, transforms barriers into opportunities for justice-oriented engagements, creates durable action, and re-evaluates access to all facets of the organization, we are holding this workshop to discuss some key issues/concepts with the goal of moving the conversation forward. Central to our conversation will be a discussion of the impact of anthropology and anthropologists on Indigenous communities, the ways in which anthropology and anthropologists have produced scholarship that has reinforced or combatted stereotypes of American Indians, and the consequences for American Indian / Alaska Native individuals and communities, and the ways in which anthropologists have supported or undermined tribal sovereignty and land rights. Our ultimate goal is to recommend ways in which the Association can repair harms and do away with barriers that prevent American Indian and Alaska Native anthropologists from entering the profession and advancing their careers.
Click here to register for “American Indian and Alaskan Native Nations and the AAA”
Wednesday, January 26th
Introduction to Easy and Free Tools for Infographics and Data Visualization
9:00-11:00 AM ET
FREE
It’s actually not hard to create good looking charts, graphs, infographics and data visualization! This workshop will provide a working introduction to a range of freely accessible platforms that are easy to use and even allow some amount of customization. Participants will learn the basics of creating effective visual communication. The workshop will offer an overview of several different platforms, explore working examples, and includes time for participants to make a design or two of their own. Put some pizazz in your PowerPoint!
Click here to register for “Introduction to Easy and Free Tools”
Preparing and Submitting a Research Article
1:00-3:00 PM ET
FREE
During this workshop, the editors of Cultural Anthropology will provide potential authors with an introduction to preparing and submitting a research article to the journal for peer review and publication. The workshop will include a discussion of the review process at Cultural Anthropology and editors will answer prospective authors’ questions.
Click here to register for “Preparing and Submitting a Research Article”
Manuscripts to Books: A Workshop with University Press Editors
4:00-6:00 PM ET
FREE
This workshop is focused on helping attendees who are interested in submitting book manuscripts to peer-reviewed academic publishers. Workshop participants will include editors from three university presses who have overseen the review of hundreds of manuscripts covering a wide range of issues and approaches. Some of the topics that will be covered in this workshop include: how to envision your scholarship as a book (rather than an article or dissertation); choosing the right publisher for your work; preparing a book proposal or prospectus; submitting your book manuscript; how the peer review process works; revising your manuscript; working with publishers to promote your book; and tips for avoiding common mistakes. We will also touch on how the pandemic is affecting publishing today.
Click here to register for “Manuscripts to Books”
Thursday, January 27th
Empowerment Evaluation
1:00-3:00 PM ET
Non-Student Rate: $20.00
Student Rate: $10.00
Empowerment evaluation is a popular applied anthropology approach, applied in over 16 countries. It is designed to help people learn how to help themselves and become more self-determined, by learning how to monitor and evaluate their own programs. It is grounded in anthropological concepts, techniques, and ethical codes. The approach has been used to help marginalized communities accomplish their community objectives. Principles guiding empowerment evaluation range from accountability to social justice. Basic steps will be demonstrated during the workshop including: 1) establishing a mission; 2) taking stock – engaging in a dialogue about what’s working and what merits additional attention; and 3) planning for the future.
Click here to register for “Empowerment Evaluation”
Advocacy and Engagement: Paving the Way for the Next Generation of Anthropologists
1:00-3:00 PM ET
FREE
Anthropology changes your life! This is just one statement from a high school student participant that has taken an Anthropology course. In this workshop, high school students will discuss and advocate for the teaching of Anthropology in K-12 schools. The goal of this workshop is to begin dialogue between high school students and Anthropologists regarding methods in which to facilitate college and career pathways. Students are eager to meet and engage with practicing Anthropologists in and outside of academia. Future Anthropologists can be recruited and mentored at the high school level. Therefore, a pertinent question that will be posed throughout the session is why Anthropologists should connect with high school students?
Click here to register for “Advocacy and Engagement”
On Keeping a Notebook: The Practice of Artful Ethnography
4:00-6:00 PM ET
Non-Student Rate: $20.00
Student Rate: $10.00
“Artful ethnography” is an approach to research-creation (Loveless 2019) that stresses the use of arts-based techniques as both an ethnographic fieldwork methodology and an opening up of new possibilities — and audiences — for the presentation of ethnographic research. This two-hour long practicum presents one aspect of a methods training workshop in artful ethnography being developed at the Studio for Artful Ethnography at the University of California, Santa Cruz: keeping a multi-modal creative notebook. Participants at every stage of their ethnographic project and anthropological career are encouraged to come and have fun with hands-on experiments, while also engaging in collaborative discussion about how we can better nurture an anthropology that concerns itself with creativity, artfulness, play, and innovation — not after data has been collected, but from its very inception.
Click here to register for “On Keeping a Notebook”
Friday, January 28th
Flash Ethnography
10:00 AM-12:00 PM ET
FREE
What is flash ethnography? How might this new, short genre fit the needs of these times? In this workshop, anthropologists and co-editors of the AES Flash Ethnography essay collection, Carole McGranahan and Nomi Stone will lead a small group of participants through the process of writing and giving feedback on flash ethnography essays. Flash ethnographies are 750 words long, and are “compressed and intense, saturated with vivid imagery and affect; and crucially, to be self-enclosed: each a discrete whole, rather than an excerpt from a larger project. One should begin in the middle rather than getting caught up with lengthy exposition, allowing each sentence to peel back another layer. And of course, like ethnography, the flash version is likewise accountable to the real, made from the tangled and charged texture of being-in-the-world and attuning ourselves also to the worlds of others” (Stone and McGranahan 2020).
Registration for this workshop is limited to twelve slots, so sign up fast!
Click here to register for “Flash Ethnography”
Challenging the Limits of Cultural Relativism: Cultivating Inclusivity and Student Engagement in the Classroom
1:00-3:00 PM ET
FREE
Cultural relativism is a key research methodology and teaching tool in cultural anthropology courses, yet this ideology alone does not always encourage students to participate in classroom discussions. This workshop presents concrete ways to increase student engagement through establishing collective agreements about participating within inclusive environments. Inclusivity requires a climate where individuals feel their uniqueness matters; meaning their individual perspectives, based on their life experiences are valued in the context of the classroom, and because of this, there is a shared sense of belonging in that group. Creating inclusive environments in the classroom maximizes the possibilities of students who have experienced life as members of minoritized communities to participate more frequently because they then feel they are part of the group. It also renders a space for humans who have experienced privilege to listen, hear, and respond. Cultural anthropologists must understand that the most important work we do is in the classroom, because our published work is read only by other cultural anthropologists.
Click here to register for “Challenging the Limits of Cultural Relativism”
Publishing a Peer-Reviewed Article: Tips from the Editors of American Ethnologist
4:00-6:00 PM ET
FREE
This workshop demystifies the article submission, revision, and publication process for authors seeking to publish in peer-reviewed academic journals, particularly in anthropology. The Editors of American Ethnologist have read hundreds of article submissions on a wide range of topics, and thousands of peer reviews, giving them a bird’s eye view of what’s involved for an author in getting from a first submission to a publication. Topics include: crafting your submission, decoding journal guidelines, understanding what happens behind the scenes in the peer review process, interpreting and responding to reviewer comments, revising for success in another round of peer review, working with copyeditors, and promoting your work once it is in print.
Click here to register for “Publishing a Peer-Reviewed Article”
Timeline
- Call for AAA Workshop Proposals Closes
- Monday, October 18th at 11:59 PM ET
- Workshops Under Review
- Monday, November 1st-Monday, November 8th
- Workshops Announced
- Tuesday, November 9th
- Registration Opens
- Week of December 6th
- AAA Workshops Occur Online
- Week 1: Tuesday, January 18th-Friday, January 21st
- Week 2: Monday, January 24th-Friday, January 28th