The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Seminar focusses on ethnic groups

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jan 24, 2006

Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Seminar focusses on ethnic groups

Staff Reporter

Thiruvananthapuram: Anthropology and its branches such as ethnography are more relevant now than ever because of globalisation and the displacement of various ethnic minorities, Stephen Inglis, Director General, Canadian Museum of Civilisation, Ottawa, said here on Monday.

He was inaugurating a two-day international seminar on Anthropology and Literature-Canada and India.

The seminar is being organised by the Centre for Canadian Studies, Kerala University here.

There has been a shift in recent times in the manner in which anthropology is being studied.

From the study of human civilisation as a whole, the focus is now shifting to various ethnic groups, their migratory patterns and habits.

Detailed study of ethnic minorities could throw light on the human race, he said.

Anthropology is also no-longer dependent just on textbooks and documents. Scientists are exploring real lives of people to come up with new revelations about the human race, Mr. Inglis added.

Exchange programmes between the universities in Canada and those in Kerala is also in the offing. Kerala University Vice-Chancellor M. K. Ramachandran Nair presided over the function.

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