[URBANTH-L]CFP: Beyond Southern Borders (Southern Anthropological Society)

[Angela Jancius]

BEYOND SOUTHERN BORDERS
Meeting Dates: 03/12/2008 - 03/14/2008

PLACE: Hilton Wilmington Riverside, 301 North Water Street, Wilmington, NC 
28401
Reservations: 910-763-5900

Abstract submission deadline: December 16, 2008

What is, where is, "the South?" We are the Southern Anthropological Society, 
but, what does that mean? One possibility is, clearly, an anthropology -- in 
its broadest 4-fields meaning -- of the Southern United States. If so, then 
where are those boundaries? There is the invisible, yet quite sturdy, 
Mason-Dixon Line, the very real Mississippi River and Ohio River, the Gulf 
of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean, and a chain-link fence at the Texas-Mexico 
border that is also the Rio Grande. There are multiple versions of "the 
South" depending on your worldview. Another possibility is to define 
ourselves as Southern Anthropologists. Again, questions of meaning arise. 
Does this mean an anthropologist who resides in "the South?" Or , perhaps, 
an anthropologist whose research is centered there? And what of the 
researcher who was born in "the South," identifies as a Southerner, and 
therefore being a Southern Anthropologist, yet lives and works in another 
region or even another country? Further still, when we consider American 
Indian populations, then the reaches of Southern Anthropology may well lead 
to the Caribbean or California. When we also consider immigration and 
emigration to and from "the South," we reach on to Mexico, Central and South 
America, to the entire world. But, being human and in need of classificatory 
systems, we have put parameters on the definition.

In 2009, the Southern Anthropological Society looks toward the future of the 
possible terrains encompassed with the borders of "Southern Anthropology." 
Papers, panels, and posters are invited that explore any and all aspects of 
the South, Southern Boundaries -- both actual and imagined -- Southern 
Culture, and who comments on and investigates the pieces of this puzzle. 
Some possible topics for consideration include but are not limited to: south 
of the borders borders of the south contemporary "southerners" regional 
differences in migration to and from the south southern culture in 
"un-southern places" tourism and the south finding the "exotic" in southern 
climes linguistic differences in the "southern drawl" Appalachia and the 
south from key to shining key the gold coast -- Miami to West Palm Florida 
as south, Florida as Caribbean, Florida as New York Africa influences the 
contemporary south Southeastern Indian nations outside of the South.

For further information: http://www.southernanthro.org/meeting-submit.htm

Contact Information:
Christina Beard-Moose
Suffolk Community College
533 College Rd. H205
Selden NY 11784 USA
Phone: 631-451-4336
Email: beardmc at sunysuffolk.edu
URL: http://www.southernanthro.org