Waigani campus, University of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby.
Organized by the Anthropology & Sociology Department, University of PNG, and the National Museum & Art Gallery, Port Moresby.
This symposium is a follow up from the inaugural Anthropology Week organized by the anthropology department in early October, 2011. This year’s theme takes on a subject matter that not only continues to generate much interest among researchers but also persistently presents challenges to Melanesians of today particularly in urban settings. Language as a prominent marker of ethnic identity together with the glaring linguistic and cultural diversity of Melanesia raises so many issues and challenges that continue to test the negotiating abilities of many Melanesians today.
The underlying theme therefore is about how generations of individuals and families while living away from their ‘home’ or parent’s villages, or coming from mixed marriages and/or parentage go on to negotiate their identities? How do these individuals assert and define their ethnic origins? What other possible markers of ethnic identification if the commonly-accepted kinship and ‘home of origin’ have both become meaningfully insignificant? This three-day symposium is divided into four different sessions:
- Art and Identity in urban areas – Chair: Dr. Nic Garnier
- Language and Identity in urban areas – Chair: Dr. Bill Sagir
- Ethnicity in urban areas – Chair: Mr. David Kombako
- Archaeology and Ethnicity in Melanesia Today – Chair: Mr. Herman Mandui
This symposium is being convened by Dr Linus s. digim’Rina, Department of Anthropology & Sociology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Papua New Guinea (digimrls@yahoo.com.au), Ph: (675) 3267613 or (675) 3434672 or 76092367.
Postal address: Anthropology Dept., PO Box 395, University PO, NCD 134, PNG.
