Double duty

MC professor tackles editing

By Michelle Anstett
Courier Staff

Petra Kuppinger, associate professor of sociology and anthropology, is busy attending to her teaching duties and new job as editor of “City and Society” journal

Planning to take things “one at a time,” Kuppinger was asked to assume the editorial position for the next three years for the journal.

However, she feels the extra responsibility will be well worth the work.

Her duties include reading submissions to the journal and, if she thinks they have merit, sends them off to be reviewed by two other people in the field.

From there, it is determined if the articles are worthy, flawed or in need of improvement.

Worthy articles are published, flawed are returned and those in need of improvement are given suggestions for change.

The process of finding reviewers is where Kuppinger fulfills her desire to network with others in her field, as she sometimes sends articles to people she does not know.

“City and Society” is published by the American Anthropological Society’s Society for Urban, National, Transnational/Global Anthropology and,according to the Society’s website, is “intended to foster debate and conceptual development in urban, national and transnational anthropology, particularly in their interrelationships.”

While she does not think it should be an expectation of other MC faculty members to assume roles such as hers, she finds it a personal necessity.

Being the only anthropologist can be “intellectually lonely” and this position allows her the opportunity to expand her network of colleagues, she commented.

In her tenure as editor, Kuppinger hopes to maintain the journal’s reputation and release special issues, such as one on Islam in cities, with a special focus on European cities.

She will also continue to teach students here at MC.

For those interested, Kuppinger has a collection of back issues of “City and Society” available in her office for loan.