Influenced by the work of Hobsbawm and Ranger, our broadly conceived theme of “Inventing Tradition,” calls upon scholars to examine and interrogate the multiplicity of “traditions” that have been invented and/or constructed within the wide range of anthropological research. For example, an invented tradition could be a successful technological innovation or a set of practices that ritually connects a forgotten past with an identifiable present. Additionally, due to its breadth of use in the discipline, the concept of “tradition” holds a variety of meanings.

Therefore, this theme could include such topics as:  

• How changes in nutritional customs affect human growth and development
• Language shift and the relationship between language and tradition
• Identifying food, work and behavioral practices using the osteological record
• Community and identity formation through socio-cultural practices
• Social context and invented tradition in archaeology
• Age, gender, growth, and development in any context  

Because this theme is interdisciplinary, we look forward to presentations from Anthropology, Folklore and Ethnomusicology, American Studies, Communication and Culture, East Asian Languages and Cultures, English, Gender Studies, Infomatics, Library Sciences, and Russian and East European Studies.

AGSA would like to thank the Department of Anthropology for supporting the symposium.

---

Symposium Committee

• Heidi Bludau, Co-chair
• Kellie Hogue, Co-chair
• Lucinda Carspecken
• Alfredo Minetti
• Audrey Ricke
• Maria Roditis
• Del Schwab
• Eric Stockdell