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Annette Weiner Papers

Call Number

MC.152

Dates

1933-1997, inclusive
; 1970-1997, bulk

Creator

Weiner, Annette B., 1933-

Extent

81 Linear Feet
in 142 boxes

Language of Materials

Materials primarily in English.

Abstract

Annette B. Weiner was a prominent anthropologist and Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Science at New York Universitiy from 1991-1996. The materials contained in this collection include administrative memoranda, correspondence, reports, publications, newspaper clippings and papers produced during three distinct phases of Dr. Weiner's career. The earliest material was generated during her years as a graduate student involved in anthropological fieldwork. Another portion comes from her early academic career at the University of Texas. She continued her anthropological work as Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Science at NYU.

Biographical Note

Dr. Annette Barbara Cohen Weiner (1933-1997) was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1968 she received her B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and in 1974 her doctorate from Bryn Mawr College. She was best known for her work challenging the pioneering studies of cultural anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski conducted in the 1930s and 1940s with indigenous people living on the Trobriand Islands of Papua, New Guinea. Malinowski published several volumes that are considered classics in the field of anthropology. Dr. Weiner revisited Malinowski's findings by further articulating the roles played by women in Trobriand society. In 1976 the University of Texas published her doctoral thesis as Women of Value, Men of Renown: New Perspectives in Trobriand Exchange. She subsequently published La richesse des femmes ou comment l'esprit vient aux homes (Iles Trobriand), a French translation of her doctoral thesis (1983); The Trobrianders of Papua New Guinea (1988); Cloth and Human Experience (1989) and Inalienable Possessions: The Paradox of Keeping-While-Giving (1992). Additional published works include encyclopedic entries, reviews and numerous articles for anthropological journals such as American Anthropologist, American Ethnologist and Pacific Studies.

The recipient of numerous research grants and fellowships, Dr. Weiner conducted most of her ethnographic fieldwork from 1969-1991 in diverse regions that included Western Samoa; Bastrop County, Texas; Sind, Pakistan; Antigua; and Guatemala. She also served as a consultant for the film Trobriand Islanders of Papua New Guinea (1988), part of the Disappearing World Series produced for Granada Television in England. In 1991 she received the Grand Prix award for the film from the Bilan du Film Ethnographique, Paris, France.

Dr. Weiner began her academic career in 1973-74 as a visiting Assistant Professor at Franklin and Marshall College. In 1974 she was appointed Assistant Professor at the University of Texas and by 1980 was promoted to the position of Associate Professor of Anthropology. She came to New York University as a professor of anthropology in 1981 and in 1984 was appointed as the Kriser Distinguished Professor of Anthropology, a title she maintained until the time of her death. Beginning in 1982 she also served as the Chair of the Department of Anthropology. Her responsibilities included the recruitment of full-time faculty, the revision of existing undergraduate and graduate programs, and the development of new programs in physical anthropology, archaeology, linguistics and fundraising. She was also responsible for organizing major conferences and symposia in the U.S., France, Italy, Austria, Australia and the USSR. Dr. Weiner resigned as the Dean of GSAS in 1996 as a result of illness.

Dr. Weiner held offices at the Society for Cultural Anthropology, the American Anthropological Association, the American Ethnological Society and the Association of Social Anthropology in Oceania. She also worked as a consultant on several executive and editorial boards such as the Social Science Council (1993), the Encyclopedia of Cultural Anthropology (1993), Encyclopedia Americana (1993) and the Smithsonian Series in Ethnographic Inquiry (1985).

Arrangement

Folders are arranged alphabetically by subject/author heading, then chronologically within each subject/author heading in nine series:

I. Correspondence

II. Course Materials

III. Field notes

IV. Article Reprints

V. Conferences

VI. Publications and Related Material

VI. Bryn Mawr College Materials

VIII. Professional Organizations

IX. Dissertations

Scope and Contents

The contents of this collection include material generated by Dr. Annette Weiner between 1960-1997 representing her academic career and service to New York University. The papers document her years as a student, field-work in Paupa New Guinea and include numerous reprinted articles that reflect Dr. Weiner's work and interests. Administrative records mark her tenure as Dean of New York University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (1991-1996).

Materials in the collection include correspondence, field notebooks, and published and unpublished writings (reviews, course materials and dissertations).

The dates assigned to some folders containing copies of articles and letters refer to the dates of the original documents, not the dates of the copies.

Conditions Governing Access

Material pertaining to individual student records may be restricted in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Please contact the Archives with specific questions regarding access to such records.

Conditions Governing Use

Any rights (including copyright and related rights to publicity and privacy) held by Annette Weiner are maintained by New York University. Permission to publish or reproduce materials in this collection must be secured from New York University Archives. Please contact university-archives@nyu.edu.

Preferred Citation

Identification of item, date; Annette Weiner Papers; MC 152; box number; folder number; New York University Archives, New York University Libraries.

Location of Materials

Materials are stored offsite and advance notice is required for use. Please request materials at least two business days prior to your research visit to coordinate access.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

In December of 1997, 49 boxes of material were donated to the New York University Archives by Dr. Weiner's husband, Dr. William E. Mitchell, emeritus professor of anthropology at the University of Vermont. Recommendations for grants, books and articles; letters of recommendation; and student grades and similar confidential records have been removed from the collection at the donor's request. The accession number associated with this collection is 99.002.

Audiovisual Access Policies and Procedures

Audiovisual materials have not been preserved and may not be available to researchers. Materials not yet digitized will need to have access copies made before they can be used. To request an access copy, or if you are unsure if an item has been digitized, please contact university-archives@nyu.edu with the collection name, collection number, and a description of the item(s) requested. A staff member will respond to you with further information.

Collection processed by

Inporn Panyanuchit, Wendy Jarvis and Emilyn Brown.

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2024-02-06 14:25:14 -0500.
Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language: Finding aid written in English

Processing Information

Decisions regarding arrangement, description, and physical interventions for this collection prior to 2018 are unknown. In 2019 memorabilia was rehoused by Preservation and sent to offsite storage.

Revisions to this Guide

June 2019: Updated by Jennifer E. Neal to incorporate materials being sent offsite in 2019 and for compliance with DACS and ACM Required Elements for Archival Description

Edition of this Guide

This version was derived from weiner1.xml

Repository

New York University Archives
New York University Archives
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
70 Washington Square South
2nd Floor
New York, NY 10012