Bio:
Education:
Goldsmiths, University of London, PhD in Anthropology, MRes, MA in Social Anthropology
University of Sussex, BA English Literature
Expertise:
Anthropology, Research Methods (particularly qualitative), Sports/Martial Arts, Gender, Embodied Practice, Japanese Culture
Biography:
Amy is a British anthropologist who conducted her PhD research on aikido training amongst the Japanese police. For this project her research delved into topics of consent, violence, state control, policing, surveillance, experiences of pain and extreme physical duress, gender, martial arts, religion and spirituality, ritualised practice, embodied communication, safe spaces, and Japanese culture. One of her viva examiners described her text as ‘one of the most enjoyable thesis he’d ever read’, and she is currently in the process of turning it into a book. Her research methods were unusual in that she trained in aikido together with a group of Tokyo police officers in order to map out their experiences using her own body and gain valuable insight into their motivations and how it reflected upon their police work.
Whilst writing her PhD she worked as an associate lecturer at Goldsmiths University, teaching courses such as Introduction to Social Anthropology, The Anthropology of Work, The Anthropology of Gender, The Anthropology of Religion, and a staff and student joint research module. She also worked in the university careers team, coaching and assisting students from a wide range of backgrounds and subjects in finding work. She has also taught English to both children and adults in Japan, South Korea, and Guatemala.
In her spare time Amy continues to train in Yoshinkan Aikido, as well as running in her local park. She is currently studying at a Japanese language school, but when she is not practicing her kanji or memorising vocab she enjoys consuming fiction books (both reading and in audio format), knitting, macrame, collecting houseplants, perusing vintage clothes shops, and generally exploring Tokyo.
Publications:
- Tapsfield, Amy. “Zagaku: An Auto-ethnographic Account.” Journal of Extreme Anthropology 6, no. 2 (2022): E1-E33. https://doi.org/10.5617/jea.9459
Conferences
- WORKSHOP: “DISABILITY IN THE WORKPLACE” (GOLDSMITHS UNIVERSITY) 2023-24. Interactive workshop for all students who joined the Careers Service Disability Mentorship program.
- WORKSHOP: “WORKER’S RIGHTS AND WHY YOU SHOULD KNOW THEM” (GOLDSMITHS UNIVERSITY) JUN 2023. Interactive workshop for undergraduate students doing work placements.
- JORRESCAM CONFERENCE: “RISK AND SAFETY IN COMBAT SPORTS AND MARTIAL ARTS” (ONLINE) MAY 2021. Paper presented: ‘Consenting to Violence: Embodied Communication and Ritualistic Behaviour in A Japanese Aikido Dojo’
- ROYAL ANTHROPOLOGICAL INSTITUTE ANNUAL CONFERENCE (ONLINE), SEPT 2020. Paper presented: ‘Creating a Safe Space for Violence: Embodied Ritual Practices in a Tokyo Dojo’
- INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON GENDER STUDIES: “GENDER NARRATIVES” (BIRKBECK UNIVERSITY) FEB 2020. Paper presented: ‘Gender Performance Within Performative Violence: A Cross-Cultural Perspective on Martial Arts Training’
- DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY AUTUMN SEMINAR SERIES 2020: “ANTHROPOLOGY AND DOUBLE-CONSCIOUSNESS: MOVING BETWEEN WORLDS?” Together with a team of PhD students we organized a 6-part seminar series for the Autumn term. After agreeing on a title, theme, and abstract we each contacted speakers to invite for experimental collaborative online sessions focused on their expertise. We advertised the events both internally and externally on social media, and facilitated online interactive sessions, all of which received wide positive feedback. For my contribution I invited the hosts of Surviving Society Podcast, Chantelle Lewis and Tissot Regis for an interview and group discussion, which was recorded and made available on their podcast platform.
- LECTURE: “PERFORMING GENDER” (GOLDSMITHS UNIVERSITY) OCT 2019. Given to final year undergraduates and postgraduates in Social Anthropology.
- ANTHROPOLOGY IN LONDON CONFERENCE: “TURBULENCE” (UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON) JUN 2019 In collaboration with lecture staff and fellow students we came up with a theme, title, and abstract for the conference, helped to organize entries and presented my own paper for one of the panels. Paper presented: ‘Unspoken Negotiations: Pain and Consent in A Japanese Aikido Dojo’
