Despite the growth and success of feminist archaeology, women in archaeology still face issues not necessarily encountered by their male counterparts in the 21st Century. Legacies of past discrimination, particularly the perceived and/or actual demands of family life, have resulted in disproportionate fewer women working at research institutions in many disciplines, including archaeology. This disturbing trend has profound implications for not only the direction of current archaeological research, but also the training of future scholars.

This blog is a forum for advocating for women archaeologists so that we can move beyond legacies of inequity to a future that strengthens a feminine voice in archaeology and a feminist perspective. We contend that the very practice of archaeology is skewed towards a masculine and hierarchical perspective that excludes consensus building and “minority opinions” when interpreting the past. We argue that the feminine voice brings unique and necessary elements to the discipline of archaeology, through values such as mentoring and collaboration. We also clarify that a feminist perspective is not limited to any one gender, class, race, ethnicity or sexuality. Rather a feminist perspective is a radical point of view; one that recognizes that women’s success professionally and personally is integrally tied to larger socio-political movements dedicated to the eradication of homophobia, racism, and androcentrism.

Our hope is to solicit advice, perspectives, and experiences from all realms of the archaeological profession- including tenure-track and adjunct faculty, CRM professionals, and those not currently employed or underemployed. The ultimate goal of the blog is to shift the realities of power experienced in the daily lives of women archaeologists by discussing, inventing and offering solutions to the challenges of professional life.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

AAA 2012 - Bring your heart to San Fran

One week from today I will be on a plane to San Francisco for the American Anthropological Association conference. That means the AAA session that "gave birth" to this blog was a year ago.

I searched this year's program for "women" and "femin*" and came up with over 400 hits, most of which are not explicitly archaeological. Below are some results I thought were most relevant.


Bioarchaeological Evidence for Women As Perpetrators of Interpersonal Violence
Saturday, November 17, 2012: 9:15 AM Debra L Martin (UNLV) and Ryan P Harrod (University of Nevada, Las Vegas)

ACTIVISM, ADVOCACY, AND ACADEMIA: UNDOING THE BORDERS IN FEMINIST ANTHROPOLOGY?
Organizers:  Jennifer J Patico (Georgia State University) and Susan Harper () Introductions:  Jane Henrici PhD (Institute for Women's Policy Research)

Empowered and Challenged Bodies: Japanese Women Professional Wrestlers’ Embodied Experiences
Wednesday, November 14, 2012: 8:15 PM Keiko Aiba (Meiji Gakuin University) 
(OK, this has nothing to do with archaeology but it sounds awesome)

My Case Is An Exception: Women On Career Track In Japan and Latvia
Sunday, November 18, 2012: 9:00 AM Aivita Putnina (University of Latvia)

Sex Materialized: Archaeological Perspectives On 19th Century Women's Health
 Wednesday, November 14 012: 4:45 PM Katrina C. L. Eichner (University of California, Berkeley)

When the Bones Speak Truth to Power: Feminicide In Guatemala
Saturday, November 17, 2012: 2:00 PM Heather A Walsh-Haney (Florida Gulf Coast University) and Victoria Sanford (Lehman)

INTERSECTIONS AND CROSSED BOUNDARIES: MEG CONKEY, FEMINIST ARCHAEOLOGIST & MENTOR
Thursday, November 15, 2012: 4:00 PM-5:45 PM 

Gender, Academic Blogging, and Virtual Ethnography
Sunday, November 18, 2012: 8:45 AM Vibha Gokhale (Rice University) 

The Meg Conkey session looks like it is the closest thing to Misty and Sarah's session from last year. But we can still gather informally if there is interest in doing so. 

A closer look at the schedule came up with this session that I plan to attend. 

WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST

Reviewed By: Archaeology Division
Wednesday, November 14, 2012: 4:00 PM-5:45 PM
Abstract not available in preliminary program.
Organizers:  Sabrina C Agarwal (University of California, Berkeley) and Rosemary Joyce (University of California, Berkeley)
Chairs:  Sabrina C Agarwal (University of California, Berkeley)
Discussants:  Rosemary Joyce (University of California, Berkeley)
4:00 PM
Becoming Children: Life and the Life Course of Roman Children
Patrick Beauchesne (UC Berkeley) and Sabrina C Agarwal (University of California, Berkeley)
4:15 PM
Gendered Activity In Colonial Mexico: An Examination of Urban Women's Activity Patterns
Julie K Wesp (University of California Berkeley)
4:30 PM
Households and the Everyday Negotiation of Gender Ideals
Kim Christensen (University of California, Berkeley)
4:45 PM
Sex Materialized: Archaeological Perspectives On 19th Century Women's Health
Katrina C. L. Eichner (University of California, Berkeley)
5:00 PM
Ties of Intimacy and Bonds of Responsibility: Family In 19th- and 20th-Century Nantucket
Teresa Dujnic Bulger (University of California Berkeley)
5:15 PM
Discussant
Rosemary Joyce (University of California, Berkeley)
5:30 PM
Discussion 
If anyone is interested in an informal discussion on feminine archaeology, get in touch with me and maybe we can get a group together to meet before or after the Women and Children session. I can't make it to the Meg Conkey session but if several readers can feel free to use this blog to organize an alternative meeting time/place before or after that session.

A simple google search should turn up several valid email addresses for me. I hope to see some of you in San Fran. 
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