Corey Owens
cowens@ualberta.ca
Department of Anthropology
13-15 HM Tory Building
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Canada
T6G 2H4
Martial arts exist in contexts outside the need for self-defence, and they take on an importance that communicates something about their practitioners. Organised fighting methods appear in many different forms in a diverse array of societies. Many styles are practiced as rituals, folk traditions, or artistic endeavours, while others make up part of a combat system, sport, or pugilistic lifestyle. Whether the techniques were created independently or modified from a common ancestor, all martial arts are expressions of humanity. For my MA work, I will be investigating the culture surrounding Kung Fu in Canada in order to develop an understanding of how different groups view martial arts and those who practice them. I intend to advance the body of knowledge in the field of the Anthropology of the Martial Arts and address the methods that immigrant populations use to express their identity and transmit their culture.
Research Interests
Identity development and expression, Martial Arts practice and tradition, Martial Arts as a body technology, Martial Arts as culture transfer, Representation and modification of the body, Immigrant identity in Canada, Multiculturalism in Canada, Chinese body technologies and philosophies.
Degrees
University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta
MA in Anthropology (expected completion April 2010)
University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Anthropology.
Selected Awards
2008 Graduate Students Tuition Award (University of Alberta) ($4,434)
2007 First Class Honours (University of Alberta)
2007 Dean's Honours List of the Faculty of Arts (University of Alberta)
2007 Filipino Canadian Saranay Association Scholarship ($1250)
2006 Jason Lang Scholarship ($1,000)
2005 Jason Lang Scholarship ($1,000)
2004 Grant MacEwan College, Bachelor of Arts Scholarship ($1,500)