Assignment: Reading Ethnography
65 points
Due: July 11
[print version - pdf file]For this assignment, students will read and analyze an ethnography, The Gebusi: Lives Transformed in a Rainforest World. The purpose of this assignment is to acquaint students with the fieldwork methods of cultural anthropologists, as well as introduce students to another culture, examine the interaction of a culture and its environment, and practice analytical and written communication skills.
Mechanics
- Read The Gebusi
- Write a 1000-1500 word essay addressing the questions below
- Formatting guidelines:
- make sure your name is in the header
- single-spaced
- 11-12 point Times, Geneva, Tahoma or Arial font
- spell and grammar check
Analysis: There are two parts to the assignment: 1) analyze the ethnography using the questions below. Your answers will have to be concise to stay within the word count. Don't forget to support your statements using examples from the book.
We will be using questions from Core Concepts in Anthropology (R. Lavenda and E. Schultz, 2006. Boston: McGraw Hill: 237-238) to analyze the ethnography.
- What is the ethnographer's main thesis or what was the purpose of the research?
- How did the author embark on this particular research? How did it come about, who paid for it, etc.?
- What is the ethnographer's role? Active participant with a(n) position/agenda or detached observer?
- Was the ethnographer an advocate for the people or working for the people?
- Does the author take any positions about the issues that are raised?
- What does the ethnographer reveal about their interactions with the people in the study?
- What has the author omitted from or not discussed in the ethnography?
- Are there topics you would like to know more about?
- What most impressed you while you were reading?
- Was there anything you didn't agree with?
2) Pick one trait/behavior (e.g., a marriage ceremony) highlighted in the ethnography. Address the following questions:
- What is the trait?
- Who is involved and what are their roles?
- What norms are reflected in the roles?
- What societal values are involved? How do the artifacts function?
- How does the trait function in society? (in other words, how is the trait adaptive)
- How is the trait related to other aspects of the society?
- What commonalities can you find between the experience of the people you've read about and your own life?
Assessment
Learn Actively: 10 points
- recognize key elements of human culture and have a basic understanding of fundamental cultural anthropology concepts: student demonstrates ability to identify a cultural trait; can use anthropological terminology and concepts correctly; can detail the interrelationship of cultural components
- have a basic understanding of cultural anthropology's field work and methods: student demonstrates knowledge about the ethnographic research and writing process
Communicate with Clarity and Originality: 15 points
- have begin to develop or improve your communication skills: student's writing is coherent (well-organized; flows), logical, on topic, critical, and free of spelling and grammatical errors
- know how to properly cite source and provide complete citations for sources: student uses page number within text to reference specific material in book
Think Critically, Creatively, and Reflectively: 30 points
- understand how to look at culture at various levels (individual, community, national): student can describe and analyze a cultural trait at multiple levels
- be able to assess the interaction between culture, biology and the environment: student can articulate the interaction of the trait being analyzed to other cultural traits as well as any biological influences
- have learned to assess anthropological information in general and scholarly sources: student critically analyzes the ethnography using questions above
- understand the difference between making an argument from fact versus opinion: student uses examples from reading to support statements
- understand that while there are various ways of being human and we are each unique, we also share basic commonalities of experience and living: student can identify patterns of behavior that are common to the human experience
Interact in Diverse and Complex Environment: 10 points
- have some tools to use to help you identify ethnocentrism: student demonstrates ability to identify function of cultural traits; can identify own bias that might impact analysis of trait
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