Society for Medical Anthropology

A section of the American Anthropological Association

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SMA Session/Paper Proposals - AAA 2010
The SMA welcomes proposals for Invited Session status. Guidelines are the same as for regular panels, with the following exceptions:
  • Proposals must be submitted ahead of time electronically to the Program Committee Co-Chairs, P. Sean Brotherton and Elizabeth Cartwright by Feb 8, 2010
  • Proposals must be carefully thought out and complete, including (1) the session abstract; (2) a list of presenters, discussants, and proposed slots for audience discussion; (3) all individual abstracts. Incomplete proposals will not be accepted.
  • In addition to the criteria for regularly submitted sessions, organizers of sessions to be proposed for Invited status should make sure their proposals also meet the criteria of importance of topic, timeliness, and relevance to conference theme.

We encourage the submission of proposals that are innovative both in the topics that they address and in the ways in which the panels and presentations are configured.

  • If you have novel ideas (e.g. use of multi-media, creative placement of discussion and interaction opportunities) please propose them. We are committed to making our time in New Orleans as productive and creative as possible.
  • SMA has only 3-5 Invited slots (the number depends on whether sessions chosen are double- or single- sessions, and whether one or two of them are co-sponsored with another AAA subgroup). Thus single (versus double) sessions have a greater chance of acquiring approval.
  • If you believe another section of the AAA would be interested in co-sponsoring (which means co-inviting) your panel, let us know! Co-sponsorship can increase the number of sessions that SMA can invite. (If your session is accepted for Invited Status, please remember that you must still submit it to AAA by April 1, 2010 marked "Invited.")
American Anthropologist Launches Public Anthropology Reviews
Public Anthropology Reviews will highlight anthropological work principally aimed at non-academic audiences, including websites, blogs, white papers, journalistic articles, briefing reports, online videos, and multimedia presentations. The editors will also consider other traditional and innovative mechanisms for communicating anthropological research and concepts outside of academic realms and welcome suggestions. Please note that this review section will complement existing review sections and will therefore not review books, films or museum exhibits. Please send materials for review, ideas for review essays and inquiries to the review editors at: publicanthreviews@gmail.com
Medical Anthropology Op-Eds

Medical Anthropology announces the addition of op-ed contributions in each issue from experts and world-renowned scholars who recognize and explain the issues in health, illness, and medicine that matter in your life and the lives of others. The op-ed contributions in each issue of Medical Anthropology provide commentary and opinion on the human stories of health and illness. These timely responses highlight the social conditions and cultural frameworks central to health beliefs and medical behavior of individuals, of families, and of societies. See the breaking news page for details.
Updated SMA by-laws posted
The updated by-laws (voted on and approved by the membership in December) are posted here. Special thanks to Alan Harwood for all the work put in on this epic task.

SMA Blog: Voices from Medical Anthropology

 Check out Carolyn Sargent's post encouraging you to give your own answer to the question "What is Medical Anthropology". Share your experiences when you've been pressed to answer this question.

Access Denied: A Blog About Unauthorized Im/migration & Health

Some members of the CAGH Special Interest Group have extended the Takes a Stand dialogue, and we encourage you to check out their new blog addressing this timely topic

MASA Facebook Group for Students

The Medical Anthropology Students Association (MASA) has created a facebook page for any and all interested students who want to learn more about medical anthropology or connect with other students. Also - Dont forget we're also on Twitter. Drop us a line to let us know if/when you sign up or follow us.

SMA Conference Speaker Videos
- If you weren't able to attend the conference or just want to relive the moment, the videos are now available. Thanks again to all who helped make this possible: the planners, speakers, presenters, and attendees...
Podcasted SMA Sessions - SfAA 2008
Check out the podcasted sessions from the 2008 SfAA/SMA meetings - many SMA sponsored sessions can be found there - and many many thanks to the SfAA for recording/processing/posting these sessions