CONSTITUTION OF ANTHROPOLOGY SOUTHERN AFRICA 1. NAME

The name of the journal, Anthropology Southern Africa, is determined by the Council of the Anthropology Southern Africa association.

2. AIMS AND SCOPE

Anthropology Southern Africa (ASnA) is the peer-reviewed journal of the Anthropology Southern Africa association (ASnA). Formerly the South African Journal of Ethnology (1978– 2001), the journal changed name and focus in 2002. The journal aims to promote anthropology

in Southern Africa, to support ethnographic and theoretical research, and to provide a platform for public debate to anthropologists based in or working on the region. Anthropology Southern Africa is committed to contemporary perspectives in social and cultural anthropology and in relevant interdisciplinary scholarship. The journal publishes work on and from Southern Africa including Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. We occasionally publish material on and from other countries, where this is deemed relevant for Southern African perspectives.

The journal publishes peer-reviewed research articles, book reviews, commentary and other material relevant to engaged scholarly discourse within and outside anthropology. The journal is listed in the Thomson Reuters Social Science Citation Index.

3. SUBSCRIPTION

All members of the professional association Anthropology Southern Africa receive a subscription to the journal.

3.1. There are four categories of ASnA members:

3.1.1. Full members are persons who have paid their membership dues and

3.1.1.1hold an honours or higher degree in anthropology, or equivalent

qualification or achievement as determined by the ASnA Council, and

are not studying full-time; or
3.1.1.2 hold a lecturing or research position at an institution of higher learning,

or are engaged in advanced research under the auspices of such institution, or a similar institution as determined by Council; or

3.1.1.3 have completed a final year degree course, or equivalent qualification, in anthropology and who, in terms of their career, are involved in a field of anthropology on a continuous basis.

3.1.2 Honorary members are persons who are appointed by Council on the grounds

of having distinguished themselves in the field of anthropology, or related fields,

and/or promoted the objectives of the Association in a special way. All

members of the journal’s Editorial Board are honorary members of ASnA.

  1. 3.1.3  Associated members are persons interested in anthropology and who have paid the appropriate membership dues.

  2. 3.1.4  Student members are persons registered for an undergraduate or postgraduate course in anthropology at an institution of higher learning who do not meet the requirements for full membership and have paid the appropriate membership dues.

3.2 Universities, institutions, libraries and private individuals can also subscribe to the

journal through commercial agreements with the publisher, Taylor and Francis.

4. MANAGEMENT

4.1 Editors

The editorial collective, consisting of three editors, is responsible for managing and

maintaining the journal.

  1. 4.1.1  All editors are appointed for a term of three years by a committee consisting of the journal’s Editorial Board, ASnA’s Council and existing/past editors. This term is extendable for one year if necessary for the running of the journal, by approval of the same entities.

  2. 4.1.2  Should an editorial position become available, the post is advertised to the ASnA membership via email and on the association’s webpage. All suitably qualified applicants and nominees for the post should submit a curriculum vitae and a letter of intent to the committee electronically. The election of new editors will be held via an anonymous electronic platform to which only members of the Committee have access.

  3. 4.1.3  Editors have to be full or honorary members of ASnA, latest by the time their term of office commences.

  4. 4.1.4  Editorial vacancies during a term of office may be filled by the same process by the same Committee for three years.

  5. 4.1.5  At the end of their term, editors, with the consent of the journal’s Editorial Board, ASnA’s Council and existing editors, may extend their term, on condition that

they may not serve in the same position for more than five years.

  1. 4.1.6  Each year one editor is chosen by the editorial collective as editor-in-chief. The editor-in-chief will serve on the ASnA Council as ex-officio member.

  2. 4.1.7  The editors report annually to Council at the ASnA Business Meeting about the course and state of the journal.

  3. 4.1.8  Editorship ends when

4.1.8.1 The term of the editor expires; or
4.1.8.2 An editor resigns, with an appropriate hand-over period; or

4.1.8.3 The Editorial Board, in conjunction with the remaining editors and the ASnA Council, terminates an editor’s term because of consistent poor performance or a dereliction of duty. The affected editor will be given the opportunity to present their case to the Editorial Board, the remaining editors and the ASnA Council.

4.2 Editorial Assistant

The editorial collective is supported in its duties by an editorial assistant.

  1. 4.2.1  The editorial assistant is appointed by the editorial collective, the ASnA Council and the Editorial Board.

  2. 4.2.2  The editorial assistant is remunerated by ASnA.

4.2.3 The editorial assistant is responsible for:

4.2.3.1 Assistance of the editors in the day-to-day administration of the journal,

by mutual agreement and with regular feed-back.

4.2.3.2 Liaison with Taylor and Francis on day-to-day administrative issues; and with NISC, the local arm of Taylor and Francis, on production issues.

4.2.3.3 Managing of submissions on ScholarOne Manuscripts. 4.2.3.4 Correspondence with authors.
4.2.3.5 Liaison with the public.

4.3 Editorial Board

4.3.1 The Editorial Board is appointed by the ASnA Council and the editorial

collective, who see to it that the requirements for the appointment and

composition of the Board are adhered to.

  1. 4.3.2  The Editorial Board may consist of approximately 30 members.

  2. 4.3.3  Composition of the Editorial Board:

4.3.3.1Members should be drawn from anthropologists working in a

professional capacity, whether at universities, public research organisations or

private companies.

4.3.3.2The Editorial Board shall aim to fairly represent scholars from international and Southern African institutions.

4.3.3.3 The Editorial Board shall aim to contain at least one representative from each country in Southern Africa.

4.3.3.4The Editorial Board shall aim to represent gender, race and generational differences fairly and equitably.

4.3.3.5 The Editorial Board shall invite former editors to sit on the board in an ex-officio capacity for one term.

4.3.4 Membership to the Editorial Board is limited to a term of four years but may be

extended by the Council and editorial collective for another term. Members may

be re-elected to the Editorial Board two years after their previous appointment

has lapsed.

  1. 4.3.5  Members should be changed on a rotational basis, with about one quarter of all members changed per year to ensure continuity.

  2. 4.3.6  Members of the Board can be elected as honorary life members at the discretion of the editorial collective and the ASnA Council based on one or several of the following criteria:

    4.3.6.1 The member has made an exceptional contribution to anthropology in

Southern Africa.

4.3.6.2 The member has a high professional standing as anthropologist or in a related discipline.

4.3.6.3 The member has made a unique contribution to the journal. 4.3.7 Role of the Editorial Board

Members of the Editorial Board may be asked

  1. 4.3.7.1  to review articles;

  2. 4.3.7.2  to assess review or photo essays;

  3. 4.3.7.3  to provide advice on matters of problematic ethics;

  4. 4.3.7.4  to arbitrate or act as third reviewers of papers with reviews that are directly opposed;

  5. 4.3.7.5  to evaluate and advise on special theme issues;

  6. 4.3.7.6  to vote on the election of new editors;

  7. 4.3.7.7  to promote the journal and attract new submissions;

  8. 4.3.7.8  to field questions and queries by the editorial collective on matters of the running and management of the journal

4.3.7.9The Editorial Board meets as often as required but at least once annually at the ASnA conference. The meeting may take place by digital

means. When the Board is not in session, questions or queries may be submitted to the Board members by email for their vote or input.

4.4 ASnA Council

4.4.1 The ASnA Council may establish an Executive Committee with the power to

act on behalf of Council in matters relating to the journal.

4.4.2 As the governing body of the Association, Council shall be responsible for the formulation of terms with the publishers and distributors of the journal.

  1. 4.4.3  Council must control the assets and must manage the financial affairs of the journal and must report annually to the General Meeting after the financial statements have been audited by two full members (appointed by the General Meeting).

  2. 4.4.4  Council may solicit, receive and administer funds in respect of the activities of the journal.

5. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

5.1 An annual General Meeting (AGM), chaired by an editor, is held annually at the ASnA conference during which

5.1.1 All reports about the activities of the journal for the previous year are tabled

and considered.

  1. 5.2  Any other matter as decided by the meeting or Editorial Board is discussed.

  2. 5.3  A quarter of the members of the Board plus one member constitute a quorum. Should the members present at any meeting not constitute a quorum, that meeting is adjourned until a date and time decided upon by the members present; members present at the subsequent meeting will then form a quorum.

  3. 5.4  The editors notify all Editorial Board members and ASnA Council members of any AGM or Extraordinary Business Meeting and make the agenda of the meeting available to them, at least 10 calendar days prior to the meeting.

  4. 5.5  The Editors may, should they deem it necessary or on a written request of at least one third of Editorial Board members, call for an Extraordinary Business Meeting to deal only with matters listed on the agenda.

  5. 5.6  The editorial assistant, or someone appointed as convenor by the Editorial Board, makes arrangements for any meetings of working groups, established by decision of the AGM.

  6. 5.7  5.7.1 Each member of the Board and each editor has one vote.

5.7.2 Decisions are taken by majority vote unless the constitution determines

otherwise. In addition to an ordinary vote, the editor-in-chief has a casting vote.

6. AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION

  1. 6.1  The Constitution may be amended by a two thirds majority decision of the Editorial Board, editors and ASnA Council present at an ordinary or extraordinary Business Meeting, provided that the editorial assistant had notified all members concerned of the intended amendments at least 21 calendar days prior to the meeting.

  2. 6.2  Decisions on amendments may be made via an online forum to which only Editorial Board members, editors and ASnA Council members may have access.

7. DISSOLUTION

7.1 The journal can be dissolved by the ASnA Council after a two-thirds majority vote of the full and honorary members present at an ordinary or Extraordinary Business Meeting during which all responsibilities of the editors and the Editorial Board must be accounted for. The President of the ASnA Council shall have no casting vote.

7.2 The Editorial collective in office at the time of dissolution must give effect to the decision to dissolve.

7.3 In the event of a dissolution, the ASnA Council must dispose of the assets of the journal to any other associations or institutions of a scientific or educational nature within Southern Africa which, in the opinion of the meeting deciding on the dissolution of the journal, have objectives similar to those of the journal or which operate in a manner which would further the objectives for which the journal was established.

 
 

11.11.2015 Draft combined IWV and CVDW feedback
January 2019 CJ changes
June 2021 Additions from Editorial Board Policy document
September 2021 with comments by Shannon Morreira, Ilana van Wyk and Sandra Manuel
9 November 2021 Finalised by editorial collective
4 December 2022 Considered by Editorial Board AGM, approved under condition of changes to clause 4.3.7.3. 22 February 2022 Incorporated changes required by Editorial board. Final, accepted document produced.