[Anthropgrad] Reminder: Seminar by Philip Fountain: Orienting Guesthood in the Mennonite Central Committee, Indonesia. Friday, 19th June, 3pm.

[John White]

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Please note that this will be the final seminar for semester one.  The
Anthropology Friday Seminar Series for semester two, 2009 will begin on
July 17.  Bookings are now open for the second semester series.  Please
contact John via john.m.white at anu.edu.au if you are interested in
presenting your pre- or post-fieldwork review.

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Anthropology Friday Seminar Series. Semester 1, 2009. Milgate Room, AD
Hope. Friday, 19th June, 3pm.

 

Orienting Guesthood in the Mennonite Central Committee, Indonesia

Philip Fountain, Doctoral Candidate, Anthropology, ANU.

 

In this post-fieldwork seminar I introduce my doctoral research on the
North American faith-based NGO the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) and
its work in the context of Indonesia. As part of David Mosse's (2005)
challenge to "not ask whether, but rather how development works", I seek
to explore the legitimating frameworks and justifications for MCC's
ongoing engagement in international aid and development. I do this by
focusing on the practices of orientation for new staff within MCC in
both Akron, Pennsylvania and also Central Java. Through these
orientation events I trace a distinct ideology of guesthood that orients
MCC Indonesia in general, and also particularly MCC expatriate workers,
as 'guests' away from 'home'. This ideology of guesthood operates
simultaneously as an associative and disassociative logic with Indonesia
as well as Indonesians. It is grounded in an attempt to counter
potential accusations of neo-colonialism - widely leveled at development
organizations in both popular and academic publications - by positioning
MCC's work as non-coercive. It also arises out of the distinctive
ethno-religious peoplehood of North American Mennonites. In my analysis
I point to the paradoxical and sometimes surprising effects that are
produced in the attempt to behave like a good guest. The focus on the
practice of particular orientation events will serve to be an
orientation (of sorts) to this fascinating development NGO.

 

All welcome!