The papers of Frank A. Dubinskas, a noted anthropologist of organizational culture, primarily documents his research into automated manufacturing at Apple Computer, Inc., but also includes material relating to his research in Sierra Leone and Yugoslavia. Also included is some biograhical material as well as manuscripts and publications.
Scope and Contents:
The Frank A. Dubinskas papers document his research into the social aspects of automated manufacturing at Apple Computer in the 1990s through correspondence, field note, reports, and slides; his teaching career at Boston College and Hamline University through course evaluations, lecture notes, and tenure materials; and his early anthropological research including his study of slavonian folklore and his study of the Mende in Sierra Leone through correspondence, photographs, and publications.
Please note that the contents of the collection and the language and terminology used reflect the context and culture of the time of its creation. As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today. The information within this collection does not reflect the views of the Smithsonian Institution or National Anthropological Archives, but is available in its original form to facilitate research.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged in three series: 1. Biographical; 2. Research; and 3. Writings.
Biographical Note:
Frank A. Dubinskas (1946-1993) was an anthropologist of organizational behavior best known for his pioneering work in the field of the anthropology of science and technology. He went to Yale Universtiy for undergraduate studies in 1964, and in 1967 he conducted research in Sierra Leone, looking at the aesthetics of Mende woodcarving. He received his B.A. in anthropology 1972. He then went to Stanford University for his M.A. (1976) and Ph.D. (1983) in Anthropology, focusing his doctoral research on village expressive culture in Yugoslavia.
Dubinskas is most well known for his research into culture and technology in high-tech companies, particularly in manufacturing automation, knowledge management, and Chaos Theory in organizations. Among his various projects was his groundbreaking research into automated manufacturing implementation at Apple Computer in 1989-1990.
Dubinskas joined the faculty of the Organizational Studies Department in the Carroll School of Management at Boston College in 1987. From 1991-1992 he was a visiting scholar at the School of American Research in Santa Fe, NM, and in 1992 became the Howard W. Alkire Chair in International Business and Economics at Hamline University in St. Paul, MN.
1946 -- Born
1964-1972 -- Undergraduate studies at Yale University (BA 1972)
1967 -- Research in Sierra Leone
1970-1972 -- Research assistant, Biology/biochemistry, Yale University
1972-1974 -- Research associate, physiology, Anatomy and biochemistry departments, UC Berkeley
1975-1976 -- MA in anthropology, Stanford University
1977-1980 -- Doctoral research in Yugoslavia
1983 -- PhD in anthropology, Stanford University
1983-1984 -- Exxon Fellow, MIT Science, Technology, and Society program
1984-1985 -- Visiting scholar, MIT Science, Technology and Society program and program in anthropology and archaeology
1981-1986 -- Research into US biotechnology industry
1984, 1988 -- Follow up research in Yugoslavia
1985-1987 -- Associate for Case Development, Harvard Business School, Production and Operations Management Group
1985-1993 -- Research into US computer industry and computer integrated manufacturing
1986-1988 -- Research into US and European automotive industry
1987-1992 -- Assistant professor, Organizational Studies Department, Carroll School of Management Boston College
1989-1991 -- Research into automated manufacturing at Apple Computer
1991-1992 -- NEH resident scholar, School of American Research
1992-1993 -- Howard W. Alkire Chair in International Business and Economics, associate professor of Anthropology, and director of international studies, Hamline University
1993, October 25 -- Dies in St. Paul, MN
Provenance:
Received from Anna Hargreaves and Dorothy W. Dubinskas in 1998 and 2000.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Access to the Frank A. Dubinskas papers requires an appointment.
Ibrahim Kanja Bah stated he was part of the Fulbe community in Sierra Leone, and the official language of his community is Pulaar. He explained the meaning of Kanja, how a child is named in his African community, and where the Fulbe community is located in West Africa.
Bah explained what he knew about the United States, how he visualized the United States, and his understanding of African Americans prior to living in the United States; why he migrated to the United States in 1973; his arrival and first experiences in Brooklyn, New York and Washington, DC; his first impression of the United States; and how he was received in the United States. He spoke about the social functions, and African culture and traditions that bring Africans together in Washington, DC.
Bah spoke about his past and current work in the music industry, including managing an African music store, producing music and concerts, bringing African bands to the United States, organizing music tours, DJing, hosting an African radio program, and teaching the history of African music at the Foreign Service Institute.
Bah explained the increase in the popularity of African music; how African music and culture influenced popular American music, including go-go music, rap, and break dance; how night clubs, specifically the Kilimanjaro, exposed a lot of people to African music; who helped make African music acceptable to Africans and introduce African music to non-Africans in the United States; the influence of Africans on the English language in the United States; and the disconnection between the Africans in the United States and the Africans in Africa.
Bah explained the ethnic and cultural diversity throughout Africa; how African diversity is "a unifying force"; Ghanaian music's role in the development of African music, including bass band music and highlife music; how the system cultivated Africans to be something other than who they really are; Africans are not capitalizing and marketing their music to the world themselves; and the popularity of Latin music in Africa. Bah also spoke about how a native Ghanaian rhythm became a part of Paul Simon's album.
Ibrahim Kanja Bah was interviewed by Hector Corporan. Interview is in English. Digital audio files include white noise and static. Volume of interviewee's voice fluctuates a little; interviewee's voice is intelligible for the most part.
General:
Associated documentation for this interview is available in the Anacostia Community Museum Archives.
Title created by ACMA staff using text written on sound cassette, contents of audio recording, textual transcript, and/or associated archival documentation.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Black Mosaic: Community, Race, and Ethnicity among Black Immigrants in Washington, D. C. exhibition records, Anacostia Community Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
This collection includes postcards from 45 African countries. Subjects include agriculture; animals; artists; body arts; cityscapes; cultural landscapes; dance; education; expeditions; flora; industry; leaders; marketplaces; medicine; military; missionaries; music; portraits; recreation; rites and ceremonies; and transportation, among many other topics.
Arrangement note:
Arranged by country and topic
Provenance:
NMAfA: National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, 950 Independence Ave. S.W. 20560-0708;, Transfer;, 1985-ongoing;, 1985-0014
Restrictions:
Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.
Rights:
Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Genre/Form:
Postcards
Citation:
African Postcard collection, EEPA 1985-014, Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution.
