by Nicolas Seth Reeves The former capital of the ancient Nabataean Empire, the city of Petra serves today as the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan’s most popular tourist destination. Tourism constitutes the lifeblood of three tribal communities that live in and around Petra Archaeological Park: the Bidul of Umm Sayhoun, the Layathna of Wadi Musa, and…
ethnography
Toward a Romani Ethnology of Jordan
by Arpan Roy Romani people in Jordan, by some estimates, are as numerous as 70,000. Present in the Arab region in some capacity since the 8th century, Romani characters appear recurrently in literary works by luminous authors from the early centuries of Islam and into the medieval period, including al-Jahiz, al-Harriri, Ibn al-Muqaffa’, and Ibn…
Speaking SOGI Asylum: Humanitarian Discourses of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in Amman
by Keegan Terek From September to November 2021, I carried out a final stage of dissertation fieldwork with the support of an ACOR-CAORC Predoctoral Fellowship in Amman. My research uses theories and methods from linguistic anthropology to examine contemporary contestation over Arabic discourses around non-heteronormative gender and sexuality. In plain terms, I study how people…
Exploring the Political Economy of Cultural Heritage
by Charlotte Vekemans “Heritage is Jordan’s oil.” This statement, which I heard from heritage experts, development workers, and Jordanian government officials, has come to be the most captivating way for me to summarize my PhD project. With the support of a Harrell Family Fellowship granted by the American Center of Research, I conducted field research…
“Ask A Scholar” with predoctoral fellow Kendra Kintzi
This written interview is part of a new series on Insights, “Ask A Scholar,” through which we highlight the personal experiences of fellows and other affiliated researchers. The following conversation with Kendra Kintzi (ACOR-CAORC predoctoral fellow, 2021–2022) took place by email in July 2021. Thanks for joining us on Insights! Tell us a little more about yourself…
Wellbeing and Living Well: Ethnographic Approaches to Health and Disability
by Christine Sargent, with Timothy Loh and Morgen Chalmiers What can ethnography contribute to our understandings of health and disability in Jordan and elsewhere? In this roundtable event, Morgen Chalmiers (University of California San Diego), Timothy Loh (MIT), and I offered provisional responses by drawing on fieldwork in Jordan and the United States while reflecting…
“The Landscape of Research in Jordan and in the Arab Region: Challenges, Transformations, Prospects”
ACOR Proudly Presents: “The Landscape of Research in Jordan and in the Arab Region: Challenges, Transformations, Prospects An ACOR online lecture by Dr. Seteney Shami (Arab Council for the Social Sciences)Delivered via Zoom on May 17, 2021 Simultaneous translation into Arabic was provided by Ala Abusharif/Pegasus Events and Conference Preparation. About the Lecture: What are…
مشهد البحث في الأردن والمنطقة العربية: التحديات، والتحوّلات، والآفاق
المركز الأمريكي للأبحاث يقدم وبكل فخر :مشهد البحث في الأردن والمنطقة العربية” “التحديات، والتحوّلات، والآفاق محاضرة عامة تلقيها الدكتورة ستناي شامي (المجلس العربي للعلوم الاجتماعية)يوم الإثنين الموافق 17 أيار/مايو :عن المحاضرة نأمل ان نراكم قريباً ومحاضرة جديدة مع أكور Related Links: The Arab Council for the Social Sciences Website 2021–2022 ACOR Fellowship and Scholarship Awardees
Ask A Scholar: Morgen Chalmiers, Pre-Doctoral Fellow, Fall 2020
This written interview is part of a new series we are launching on Insights, called “Ask A Scholar,” through which we hope to highlight the personal experiences of fellows and other affiliated researchers. The below conversation, with ACOR-CAORC Pre-Doctoral Fellow Morgen Chalmiers, who is in residence at ACOR during fall 2020, took place by email…