Option A: Sub-Specializations in Cultural Anthropology
In preparation for the Final Week Essay (which will be due in the Final Week), students must use this Week to choose a topic from among the list of topics mentioned below. The topic will become the Title of the essay. Students must mention this Title and compose an Essay Plan/Outline in five bullet points, and also write an introductory paragraph specifying the main points that they will discuss in the essay. Lastly, they must provide a Bibliography for the Final Week Essay. Students must use the Perspectives Textbook, as well as one more outside research reference, that is, an internet-resource/printed book/printed article etc. that is relevant to the topic. The Final Essay will be of at least 800 words (can even go up to 1000 words!), however, naturally, this Week’s Plan/Outline and introductory paragraph doesn’t have to meet that minimum word count expectation, all that is needed is just a topic/Title, an essay plan or bullet points outline, and a Bibliography.
Here are the instructions for this Week Four assignment explained once more:
a. Students must choose a topic (which will become the Title of the essay), and write five bullet points about the topic chosen; this will be the plan/outline of the essay that students will eventually complete and turn in by the Final Week.
b. Students must use the bullet point outline to write an introductory paragraph which will provide an overview of the topic chosen.
c. All students must include a Bibliography/Works Cited Section where they mention the sources they have utilized (at least one academic and scholarly research source other than your Perspectives textbook is compulsory). Hence, for reference, students must use the Perspectives Textbook, and at least one more relevant outside academic and scholarly resource such as a published text/printed book/printed article/primary source etc. as evidence presented in order to support the thesis of the essay. They will mention these academic research references in-text citations as well as in a MLA format Bibliography at the end of the essay.
d. Students must remember that all that is required this Week is a Topic/Title, Essay Plan/Bullet Point Outline, Introductory Paragraph, and a Bibliography for the Final Essay. A full Rough Draft is not required, it will be required later in the Quarter, that is, for the Week Ten Assignment. Of course, the final version of the Final Essay will be due in Finals Week. In addition, students will be asked to prepare and present a Power Point Presentation, with voice-over, OR a two-minute Video about how they conducted their research for their Final Essay Project, but that will be later: that will be for the Week Eleven Discussion Assignment.
Option B: Qualitative Data (Personal Oral Histories)
For Option B for the Final Essay in the Final Week, students will be required to write a comprehensive 800 word essay (can even go up to 1000 words!) in which they will employ anthropological field methods to observe, describe, and analyze an example of culturally conditioned behavior. They are required to immerse themselves in the field workers role through participant observation, interviewing, and collecting the oral life history of an informant—each student must interview at least one person of his/her choosing (students have the option to try interview more informants if they want, maximum of five).
Example:
Automation with Bob #1 (youtube.com)
In preparation for the Final Week Essay (which will be due in the Final Week), students must use this Week to choose a topic concerning your plan for an ethnographic interview. The topic will become the Title of the essay. Students must mention this Title and compose an Essay Plan/Outline in five bullet points, and also write an introductory paragraph specifying the main points that they will discuss in the essay. Lastly, they must provide a Bibliography for the Final Week Essay. Students must use the Perspectives Textbook, as well as at least one more outside research resource that is relevant to the topic, such as an internet-resource/printed book/printed article etc.. The Final Essay will be of at least 800 words (can even go up to 1000 words!), however, naturally, this Week’s Plan/Outline and introductory paragraph doesn’t have to meet that minimum word count expectation, all that is needed is just a topic/Title, an essay plan or bullet points outline, and a Bibliography.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR THIS WEEK FOUR ASSIGNMENT:
a. All students must choose a topic (which will become the Title of you essay), and write five bullet points about the topic they have chosen; this will be the plan/outline of the essay you will eventually complete and turn in by the Final Week.
b. All students must use the bullet point outline to write an introductory paragraph which will provide an overview of the topic chosen.
c. All students must include a Bibliography/Works Cited Section where they will mention the sources they have utilized (at least one academic and scholarly research source other than the Perspectives textbook is compulsory). Hence, for reference, students must use the Perspectives Textbook, as well as at least one more relevant outside academic and scholarly resource, such as a published text/printed book/printed article/primary source etc. as evidence presented in order to support the thesis of the essay. They will mention these academic research references in-text citations as well as in a MLA format Bibliography at the end of the essay.
d. Students must remember that all that is required for this Week is a Topic/Title, Essay Plan/Bullet Point Outline, Introductory Paragraph, and a Bibliography for the Final Essay. A full Rough Draft is not required, it will be required later in the Quarter, that is, for the Week Ten Assignment. Of course, the final version of the Final Essay will be due in Finals Week. In addition, students will be asked to prepare and present a Power Point Presentation, with voice-over, OR a two-minute Video OR Poster about how they conducted their research for their Final Essay Project, but that will be later: that will be for the Week Eleven Discussion Assignment.
OPTION B STUDENTS SHOULD MENTION:
Whom they will interview—they will need to interview at least ONE person of your choice (students have the option to interview more informants if they want to, maximum of five).
How and when they will interview this person.
What is the concept of cultural conditioning?
What is distinctive about the individual they are interviewing (occupation/marital status/religion/nation of origin/race/ethnicity/sexuality etc.)
What topics they will discuss with him/her concerning his/her cultural conditioning. It’s up to the student, but I think it’s advisable to ask about ten questions.
At least one Outside Academic Research References in a MLA format Bibliography that is relevant to the topic of cultural conditioning or to the culture of the informant/interviewee.
Students can ask questions like (they can choose a few questions, maybe ten questions or so):
1. Who are you anthropologically (to which cultures do you feel connected)?
2. What is your cultures, please list the culture or cultures you identify being a part of.
3. How do you define your own culture(s)?
4. How do you know this is your culture? Who helped your belonging to this culture or these cultures?
5. Name a few favorite food dishes from the culture you identify with.
6. Have you ever been offered or eaten a food item that took you out of your comfort zone?
7. Define your culture. What cultures are you connected to? What history and heritage information do you have for yourself?
8. Do you feel connected to your culture? Why or why not?
9. Do your parents or grandparents feel more or less connected to the culture(s) you identify with?
10. Have you ever had the “Where are you from” question, and felt that it was used to make you feel different, uncomfortable, or like an outsider? What about the question or situation made you feel that way?
11. What language(s) do you speak?
12. Do you speak any dialects?
13. Do you use code-switching in your everyday conversations?
14. When exactly do you code-switch languages? Do you code-switch in a single speech event, maybe for specific words? Do you code-switch between speech events? Describe when and why you code-switch.
15. Have you ever been around people who code-switch in front of you? How did it make you feel?
16. If you speak only one language, do you wish to speak another language as well? Why?
17. What benefits would it give you to speak more than one language?
18. Do you have a job or are you training to obtain employment? Did your family or culture ever point you any particular career?
18. Do you give or receive gifts in your culture? If so when, why, and to whom?
19. Who do you count as family?
20. Are you married? Do you have children?
21. How do you define your own sex, gender, and sexuality? Do you think the way you dress helps to establish your gender identity (masculine, feminine, mixed, or neutral)?
21. Do you think it is easy for people to move up or down as far as their socio-economic class is concerned? What would you change that you think might help to change your class status?
21. Were you raised in any specific belief system or religion? Do you frequently worship or visit any house of worship or religious center?
21. What is your favorite sporting event or cultural event? Why do you like it?
21. Do you think your attire help in creating your identity? How do you dress? Do you have some favorite accessory or jewelry? Do you have a tattoo or body piercing?
22. Which country are you from? Where is your country? Who are its modern neighbors? Who colonized, or tried to colonize your country? When did your country gain its independence? Did your country colonize any other country? How were local cultures effected by colonial rule? What are the current challenges facing your country?
23. Please identify one of the favorite objects in your possession. When and where was it crafted/manufactured? Could you please provide a photo of it?
STUDENTS CAN FOCUS ON ISSUES LIKE:
Interviewing older family members about whether their cultural conditioning played a role in how they chose their field or work/occupation.
Interviewing older family members about whether their cultural conditioning played a role in how they met and married their spouse.
Interviewing older family members about how their cultural conditioning during childhood and youth (child-rearing, educational practices, entry into job market etc.) led to their current values and norms.
Interviewing family members about cultural conditioning caused by religious/cultural/sports groups they have membership in.
Interviewing the members of any club/religious group/cultural group that you belong to about the cultural conditioning of that group—what does values and norms does that group espouse, and why?
Interview friends and family members about culturally conditioned response to interacting with individuals who are of a different race or religion/unwed mothers/undocumented immigrants/ people with disabilities/alcoholics or addicts/in occupations that are looked down upon by the social mainstream, such as prostitution.
Interview people from any particular culture/ethnicity/religion/nation of origin to find out how cultural conditioning during their upbringing shaped their current values and norms.
