The Innovative Anthropologies Lab community is circular, values "both...and," and is committed to a safe and welcoming environment for uncomfortable learning.
InnoAnth Community
Circularity
The InnoAnth Lab isn’t just a room—it's a circular community. This means that members get out as much as they put in. A member offering mentorship on one topic may receive mentorship on another. A member may receive feedback on a draft while also sharing their writing processes with the community. To maintain this circular community, we expect all members to stay engaged and be supportive by sharing what we learn, being open and curious beyond our own projects, and recognizing the value of our own expertise to others.
Both…And
As a community we seek to make space for "both…and" rather than restrict ourselves to "either…or." We are dedicated to openness and finding productive tensions in difference. It is possible to be both critical and supportive; both scientific and humanistic; both academic and applied; and so on. We value "both...and" as a guiding principle for how we treat each other and the work that we share.
Welcoming & Supportive
In order to practice the openness of "both...and," we understand that everyone in our community must not only be tolerated but rather welcomed and supported. This means statements and actions that promote—knowingly or unknowingly—discrimination or judgement based on race, sex, gender, age, sexual orientation, socioeconomic class, religion, physical appearance, physical or mental ability, or other aspect of one’s identity are not tolerated. We beleive that equity and inclusiveness is not an attribute of a community but an active practice of its members that requires ongoing reflection, accountability, and solidarity.
Uncomfortable Learning
While every member has the right to feel safe and welcome, this does not mean that we will always feel comfortable in the lab. Anthropology involves discussing topics, such as politics, gender, racism, religion and other topics that may be difficult for our members. In order to discuss these issues while maintaining a safe and welcoming environment, we all must understand that we are all learning and, in good faith, engage in respectful conversation free from attacks, accusations, and microaggressions. This means community discussions are for listening, learning, curiosity, and growth; they are not for anger, adversarialism, competition, or shame. Every member has the right to ask questions, share their experiences, be vulnerable, and to say things that might be wrong. Likewise, we are all responsible for learning from our mistakes, maintaining empathy for others’ experiences, and learning to accept reasonable feedback and criticism as an opportunity to learn rather than as a failure or attack.
Affiliated Faculty
Affiliated faculty members are TXST faculty who are conducting long-term research or educational programs in the lab.
Our Members
Research and Network members are students and faculty that are actively involved in the lab community as researchers or participants in the the wider lab network.
Get Involved at InnoAnth
Find out about what InnoAnth membership means and how your can get involved in our community.