Newsletter: April 2002
Your SMA Website
By Craig Janes (U of Colorado-Denver)
Typically, websites have two functions. First, they are repositories of information; in this case, about an organization—its history, structure, purpose, links to other sources of information and so on. Second, websites offer a vehicle for rapid information exchange. During the past several years, and primarily because of the efforts of our first webmaster, Ruthbeth Finerman, the SMA website fulfills the first function reasonably well. Until recently, we have been less concerned with the potential information exchange capabilities of our website, so this potential remains largely unexploited. My purpose here is to describe our website for those who have not yet browsed its pages (or have browsed them incompletely), to discuss some recent changes to the website that are intended to enhance its utility as a tool to facilitate the rapid exchange of information, and to encourage you to use the website as a communication tool.
In terms of its function as a repository of information, Ruthbeth Finerman and I have tried to create a reasonably complete record of past and present SMA business. The website, for example, contains a complete record of all news columns published in AN from Jan 1996 to the present. In addition to the news columns, the website provides descriptions of, and links to, active SMA interest groups; lists the Society by-laws and current officers; describes (and in many cases provides links to) 27 training programs in medical anthropology, and currently is the sole “official” site for Medical Anthropology Quarterly. Our new MAQ page provides issue contents and abstracts for the past three years, complete information for contributors and a link to the editorial office.
During the past year, I have tried to enhance the utility of the website as a vehicle for the rapid exchange of information. I have created two pages featuring “current” or “breaking” news. In addition to the current news column page, an announcements page has been added. The announcements provide a space for the posting of time-sensitive announcements, as well as requests for information or assistance. Entries are indexed at the beginning of the page. At present, the single page provides adequate space for the relatively few items received for posting. If volume increases, electronic discussion or listserv options might need to be explored. In the meantime, I invite you to submit your calls for papers, position announcements or requests. My hope is that the website will become the first place people go to solicit participation in a planned symposium, place a call for papers, describe new books and journals, and announce promising new research initiatives.
As websites grow and become more complex, it becomes increasing difficult for a single webmaster, who has only a few minutes a week to devote to maintaining a site, to monitor completely the accuracy and timeliness of information and links. As you browse the website and find things that need to be corrected, changed or updated, please send me an email at craig.janes@cudenver.edu. Please visit the website at http://www.cudenver.edu/sma/.
Business Meeting and Awards Report
The Annual Business Meeting for the SMA was held on Nov 30 during the 2001 AAA Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. Once the cash bar was fully operational, SMA President Bill Dressler called the meeting to order. Bill’s very personal opening remarks honored the contributions of Arthur Rubel to teaching and research in medical anthropology. Among the many committee reports was the presentation of SMA Awards. Virginia Dominguez presented the Eileen Basker Memorial Prize to Susan Martha Kahn for Reproducing Jews: A Cultural Account of Assisted Reproduction in Israel. James Trostle then announced the Steven Polgar Paper Prize winner as Arushi Sinha for her article “An Overview of Telemedicine, the Virtual Gaze of Health Care in the Next Century” ( MAQ, Sept 2000). The Charles Hughes Graduate Student Paper Prize was awarded to Elizabeth Horton (U of Arizona) for “Stories of Aging, Ideology and Nation”; and the W H Rivers Undergraduate Student Paper Prize was presented to a most grateful Sunita Puri (Yale U) for her paper “Immigration, Isolation and (Community) Identity.”
Suzanne Heurtin-Roberts, representing the Program Committee, reported that the SMA did very well in having sessions accepted to the final program, and she had some advice for 2002 contributors. Suzanne suggested members seek joint sponsorship of sessions, thus allowing the SMA to have more sessions in total; she encouraged members to consider Poster Sessions; and she noted that abstracts for the 2002 AAA Annual Meeting are due Mar 31 (not Apr 1, as is customary). There will be online submissions.
In one of his last acts as president, and demonstrating heretofore unknown rhythmic sensibilities, Bill played a haunting wineglass accompaniment to Bryan Page’s brilliant musical tribute to outgoing Board members. The meeting adjourned with the passing of the gavel. Bill Dressler was hailed by one and all for his tireless service as SMA president, and Mark Nichter was welcomed just as heartily as our newest president.