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Associate Professor of
Anthropology |
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Introduction: I'm an Associate Professor of Anthropology at Yale University. My first book was on sign language, identity, civil society, and minority social movements in modern Japan. My second was on schizophrenia, mental illness, and psychiatric disability. I am currently working on sexuality and disability in contemporary Japan.
Public Anthropology: I believe that anthropologists should take public service seriously. As social scientists, our job is to inform the populace about issues related to social and policy goals. Although we accomplish a great amount of that through our teaching and research publications, the audience for those sources tend to remain within the elite. My own role in public anthropology is to welcome the media and the general public to take advange of my expertise in particular areas through magazine and newspaper interviews as well as public speaking events.
Bio Blurb: Karen Nakamura is a cultural and visual anthropologist whose research focuses on disability, sexuality, and other minority social movements. In 2006, she published _Deaf in Japan: Signing and the Politics of Identity_, an ethnography of sign language and deaf social movements in contemporary Japan. This book was awarded the John Whitney Hall Prize from the Association for Asian Studies. She has recently completed a book and two films on schizophrenia and mental illness in contemporary Japan which will be published by Cornell University Press in April 2013. Currently she is working on the intersections of sexuality and disability in Okinawa.
Research interests: Minority social movements and identity politics, sign language, civil society, gender and sexuality, sociocultural anthropology, and visual culture.
Media relations: I am happy to give interviews on topics related to my research interests. Please e-mail me to schedule a time for a telephone or physical interview.
Public speaking: I also am more than willing to give public presentations on topics related to my research interests. I do not expect honorariums from non-profit organizations (deaf clubs, public schools, etc.) unless they require travel outside of my immediate area. Please contact me well in advance regarding a topic and proposed date and venue.
I have lectured at: Yale University, Harvard University, University of Michigan, Cornell University, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), New York University, Columbia University, University of Illinois, University of Iowa, Middlebury College, University of Minnesota, Purdue University, Bowdoin College, Johns Hopkins University, Heidelburg University (Germany), Sophia University (Japan), the American Anthropological Association, the Association for Asian Studies, International Studies Association, the World Congress of the Deaf, and others.
"Bethel Home members leading rich life despite hearing hallucinations" by Koji Tahira. Kyodo News. Syndicated on April 4, 2007.
Interview on Where We Live hosted by John Dankowsky on WNPR (Hartford, CT). October 11, 2006.
"Teens grasp sign language" by Greg Toppo. USA Today. Monday, December 16, 2002.
"Honouring the God of Comics: Schoolgirls from distant stars are chatting with starship captains. It's all part of the sixth annual Anime North convention, celebrating Osamu Tezuka and his creation, Astro Boy" by James Cowan. National Post (Toronto). May 25, 2002 Saturday National Edition SECTION: Review; Pg. B9 .
"Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign" Los Angeles Times, 2001.08.12 page B1,B10.
"Web Sites for the Deaf Welcome Others, Too" by MICHAEL POLLAK. New York Times. April 5, 2001, Thursday, Section G; Page 9; Column 1; Circuits.
"Laptop navigation: on the Macintosh with GPSy Pro and NavimaQ" by Charles W Moore. Sailpast 00 pg 43-44.