New Course for Spring 2012

Spring 2012

ANT 770: Anthropology of Youth

Mondays 1-3:30pm

Instructor: Kristin Monroe

Historically, anthropology’s interest in children and youth focused on cultural development—the ways in which culture is transmitted to younger people— and thus attended mainly to rites of passage, the development of gender roles, liminality, and, in general, the transition from childhood into adulthood. More recently, anthropologists have begun to consider more closely the perspectives of youth and the specific challenges they face. Conceiving of young people as cultural agents, rather than as ‘recipients’ of culture, cultural anthropologists in recent decades have looked closely at their lives and experiences. This course delves into both the historical and recent anthropological literature on youth, as well as critical social theory, in order to demonstrate the diverse approaches one can take in studying and representing youth as well as the unique methodological issues raised by undertaking research with this social group. We will consider recent ethnographic recent work about children and youth in relation to a range of topics including media and consumption, language, music, style, human rights, race and ethnicity, and queer studies.

Another Spring TA Position

New Graduate Assistantship Available in UKIT!

UK Information Technology seeks a qualified, full-time MA or PhD student for a graduate assistantship in the Academic Technology Group. The graduate assistant will be a leading member of the Blackboard Scholars team, a student group that provides training and support to faculty who use campus learning systems, including Blackboard, Adobe Connect, Echo360, TurningPoint clickers, and iTunes U.

Duties will include working closely with ATG staff to help schedule, train, and supervise the Scholars, assisting faculty in the use of a variety of educational technology tools, and helping design and teach faculty workshops. The GA will be expected to develop and maintain a collaborative relationship with staff members in ATG's campus partners and to coach the Scholars in pedagogical "best practices" for effective educational technology use. He or she may also be expected to attend and/or give occasional presentations on topics related to education or technology.

The ideal candidate will:
     have a strong background in education, communication, information science, curriculum design, or a related field;
     have experience in teaching, team leadership, and/or technology support;
     be familiar with at least two of the learning systems in use at UK;
     have excellent speaking, writing, and interpersonal skills; and
     be proactive, self-motivated, and communicative in regards to work-related activities.

This is an one-semester full assistantship beginning in January 2012 and renewable for the 2012-2013 school year. The position requires an average of 20 hours/week primarily scheduled during business hours (M-F 8-5) and the occasional early evening. Compensation includes a tuition scholarship, health insurance, and $240/week stipend. Summer hours will be available and compensated at $12/hour.

The selection process will be competitive. Applicants must have a minimum 3.0 GPA and be in good academic standing with their respective department and if hired, must maintain this status throughout their employment as a GA. For further information about compensation or eligibility, visit http://www.research.uky.edu/gs/StudentFunding/tuition.html.

For full consideration, a cover letter and CV must be included with the UK online employment application. Submission of additional documents, such as a letter of recommendation or sample of previous work, is encouraged, but not required.

To apply, please visit http://ukjobs.uky.edu/applicants/Central?quickFind=230775

TA Position Available This Spring!

We have an opening for a half-time teaching assistant this spring to teach one section of EPE301.

EPE 301 explores the context of teaching and learning in American society, both within and outside of the classroom. EPE 301 critically examines different perspectives on education and culture, explores anxieties and aspirations about schools, the ways popular culture influences schooling, and the impact of race, class, gender, ethnic, and regional dynamics, both past and present, on teaching and learning. EPE 301 considers what roles schools play in constructing and perpetuating both inequalities and opportunities as well as the specific dimensions and practices of schools which marginalize or privilege particular groups of people.

Students interested in this teaching opportunity should contact Dr. Alan DeYoung (ajdey@coe.uky.edu) as soon as possible.  Decisions will need to be made quickly to prepare for January start.

KUDOS!

Congratulations to John Thelin, who was awarded the Association for the Study of Higher Education's (ASHE) 2011 Research Achievement Award this past week at ASHE's annual conference in Charlotte, N.C.  This award, as described by ASHE, is "presented presented for outstanding contribution to research to an individual whose published work (theoretical, empirical or applied) advances understanding of higher education in a significant way. The Research Achievement Award may acknowledge a body of research or a single piece of meritorious research."

Congrats as well to Dr. Nikki Knutson (SHED) on her successful defense last week.  

And Kudos to Leslie Woltenberg (SHED) on her successful qualifying exam yesterday.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

“Chinese Education in a Changing Society”

UK Confucius Institute Speaker Series  presents “Chinese Education in a Changing Society” by Professor Wang Juefei.

Time:  3:00pm,  Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Place: Young Library 

Dr. Juefei Wang is Professor of Education Emeritus of the University of Vermont and Program Director of the Freeman Foundation.  He founded the University of Vermont Asian Studies Outreach Program and served as its director for 14 years.  In that role he created a statewide program for Asian studies in schools in Vermont, organized more than 1,000 teachers, school administrators, and high school and college students to visit China, Japan, and Thailand, and assisted Vermont schools in offering content on Asia.   In 2003, the program received the inaugural Prize for Excellence in International Education from Goldman Sachs Foundation and the Asia Society.  Dr. Wang has published extensively in international education and comparative education, and has made presentations on American and Chinese education nationally and internationally.  He received his M.Ed. in comparative education at Beijing Normal University, and M. Ed. in Foundational Studies of Education and Ed. D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Vermont.           

The latest issue of "On Campus with Women", AAC&U's newsletter

for their women's group, has several interesting articles.

http://www.aacu.org/ocww/volume40_2/contents.cfm

Articles include: 

Gender in Global Context: A Programmatic Model
Amy Jamison, Lisa Fine, and Anne Ferguson

The Long Trajectory toward Global Women's Studies
Karen Torjesen

Women and Education in the Early Twenty-First Century: A Global Perspective
Nelly P. Stromquis

Collaborating across Disciplines on Global Women's Education
Susan Bourque and Rosetta Marantz Cohen

     Mentoring Appalachia's Future Women Leaders
     Shea Daniels

Thanks to Randolph Hollingsworth for calling this issue to

 attention.