Category: Anthropology

In Module 1 we learned that ethnographies are in-depth studies conducted by anthropologists of the everyday practices and lives of a people or culture. Many ethnographic books follow a certain pattern in their organization which you may observe in the book you selected. The location of the culture studied is described, followed by an introduction that details the principal focus of the book (the main research questions). Most ethnographies relate to theoretical issues in anthropology, thus contributing to the development of the discipline, but many also engage broader social issues (race/gender relations, inequality, workers’ rights, etc.). Following the introduction, ethnographies often contain a section on methods detailing the field work conditions and how the data was collected. The next part of an ethnography takes the reader into the empirical data collected. Along with this “thick desсrіption” of the culture/people, the ethnographer analyzes his/her data and draws conclusions that are supported by the data.
In this final written assignment, you will be reading a book-length ethnography by a cultural anthropologist. In your paper you should demonstrate and apply what you have learned about cultural anthropology so far this term to your critique of your selected ethnography.
In her blog post/article “What Makes Something Ethnographic?,” Carole McGranahan concludes that successful ethnographies demonstrate the following three characteristics:
a transparency of the ethnographer as researcher; not gratuitous reflexivity, but a clear and communicated sense of how knowledge was accumulated, of what the scholar’s relationships with the community were;
the presence of people in the text as characters who you get to know, people who appear as themselves, as real people; and
clear demonstration that the topic being studied matters; mattered not only in an anthropological sense, but mattered and was relevant to the people in the community.
Describe how well the ethnography you read demonstrates these three characteristics. Is the book you read “successful” as an ethnography? In doing so, be sure to discuss the following:
Trait 1: Describe what the author says about their role as researcher. What difficulties (if any) did the anthropologist encounter? What was their relationship with the community they studied?
Trait 2: Discuss the empirical data and material collected by the author. How convincing was the evidence that the author used to support their argument? Did the people in the text come alive to you as characters who you got to know?
Trait 3: Identify the author’s contribution to anthropology/anthropological theory and the broader impact and importance of the topic studied. What were the central research questions, and why do they matter? How do the topics raised in this book connect to course readings/films? (trait 3).
The final paper is to be 5-7 pages in length (approx. 1500-2100 words) double-spaced (12 pt. font). Be sure to proofread for errors in spelling, typing, grammar, word usage and writing mechanics. If you are including additional sources, they must be properly referenced using APA or MLA citation format.
Book Picked – Ayya’s Accounts: A Ledger of Hope in Modern India by Anand Pandian and M.P. Mariappan (Indiana University Press, 2014; paperback). Read a summary of this book (Ebook available in ESC Library).
Summary From Amazon – Attached will be all of the chapters that I was able to download.

https://savageminds.org/2012/05/31/what-makes-something-ethnographic/
Resources From Throughout the Course – Links Below – I am not sure which ones will be needed so I am attaching what was read throughout the course.

Introduction to Anthropology

Chapter 1 – The Culture Concept

Chapter 2 – Doing Fieldwork: Methods in Cultural Anthropology

Chapter 3 – Family and Marriage

https://www.npr.org/2009/02/08/100339404/our-awareness-controls-human-destiny

Chapter 4 – Language

Chapter 5 – Race and Ethnicity

Chapter 6 – Gender and Sexuality

https://www.pbs.org/thelinguists/Endangered-Languages/Hear-Them-Spoken.html

Chapter 7 – Economic Anthropology

Chapter 8 – Globalization

Chapter 9 – Culture and Sustainability

Chapter 10 – Religion

Chapter 11 – Health and Medicine

Chapter 12 – Media Anthropology

Chapter 13 – Seeing Like an Anthropologist: Anthropology in Practice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v＝XNus-xZ7_6Y
Essay Evaluation Rubric
Thesis – Clear thesis statement of argument for the essay. Shows original thought and analysis.
Development of Argument – Accurate and appropriate use of evidence to support argument.
Structure and Organization – Logical and coherent structure, smooth transitions. Essay has an introduction and conclusion.
Integration of Sources – Makes analytical connections across course materials. Uses sources to critically discuss themes.
Grammar, Syntax, Language Choices, Spelling – Proper grammar, word usage, varied sentence structure, appropriate tone.
Formatting – Title page, page numbers, sections labeled, proper citation format in text & in bibliography.

Find a recent news article relevant to this weeks topics. Since this is an introductory anthropology course, the topics should be broad enough that you will have no problem finding articles that qualify. It should be long and “meaty” enough so that you can provide a decent summary of it. The article should be less than two years old and come from one of the following news sources. If you find the article behind a paywall, choose a different article. Or visit the college library–the reference librarian should be able to assist you. New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/section/scienceLinks to an external site.
Science Daily
Newshttps://www.sciencedaily.com/news/fossils_ruins/anthropology/Links to an external site.
Nature Journal News
http://www.nature.com/news/
Links to an external site.
Science News
https://www.sciencemag.org/news
Links to an external site.
Scientific American Magazine
http://www.scientificamerican.com/
Links to an external site.
Smithsonian Magazine http://www.smithsonianmag.com/?no-istLinks to an external site.
Links to an external site.You may also consider looking up key terms on Google Scholar and adjusting the publication year filter. Include a link to the article or copy and paste the web address of the article. Then, in approximately 200-300 words, do the following:
1. Briefly summarize the article in your own words. What did you find interesting about it?
2. Explain how the article is relevant to this weeks topic. How does it build off the course material that was provided. Is there any information from your article that your peers could benefit from also knowing?

For this assignment you have to write a written response of least 400-500 words. Make sure to use your own voice. Once you post your own response, you need to reply to two other students. The reply has to be substantial and meaningful. Replying to their post should be an opportunity to provide feedback and expand on their explanation/understanding of primate evolution. Refrain from replying just by saying this interesting; if that′s your take, you have to write more about why you find it interesting. The goal of this assignment, including your responses, is to help you understand the concepts, hypotheses, and the fossil record of primate evolution. Choose 1 to 2 of the following topics to write about in your response.
Describe the major hypothesis about the primate origins.
Discuss the origin of primates from the Mesozoic era. Include geographic and temporal distribution, general morphological features.
Talk about the debate of plesiadapiforms as true primates, Adapoid diversity, Omomyoid Diversity.
Include the emergence of the modern primate groups and early anthropoid fossils in Africa (general morphology of Anthropoids, Fayun Anthropoid Families, Asia (Eosimiids, Amphipithecids). Explain the Platyrrhine dispersal to South America. Discuss the geographic distribution of apes in Africa, Asia and Europe.
The African Ape Diversity, Eurasian Ape Diversity.

Describe what ″Mother India″ means and where it comes from.
Describe the irony of the term in India due to the long history of widespread misogyny and gender inequality that still exists today.
Dive deeper into the way women are treated throughout India and how being in different castes affects that.
Make sure to go in depth with the irony of the term.
Try to relate/connect it with Bollywood films and the way that women are portrayed.

My chosen articles for this assignment:
Media Representation Article: Famous Neanderthal ‘flower burial’ debunked because pollen was left by burrowing bees – https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/famous-neanderthal-flower-burial-debunked-because-pollen-was-left-by-burrowing-bees Peer-Reviewed Article: Shanidar et ses fleurs? Reflections on the palynology of the Neanderthal ‘Flower Burial’ hypothesis – https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305440323001024?via%3Dihub Expectations:
Read the Research Assignment file carefully
Review a media representation of research
Identify and assess any omissions or misunderstandings after reading the original research article
Summarize the content of both sources
Compare and contrast your findings to the original research that was published on the topic
1500 words (4-6 double-spaced pages)
Include the research outline Key Idea: Compare a specific peer-reviewed research project to its media representation
Please do not use any AI websites like ChatGPT or any other cheating websites like Chegg and Course Hero – a refund will be requested if instructions are not followed.

Assignment Descriiption: Media Reflection and Analysis Paper
For this assignment, I need to write a 5-page essay on “Alternative Education Around the World.” Choose a media outlet, like a documentary or published study, that explores alternative education models (I have one, but if you find a better-suited one, then you can use that). Analyze how different cultures approach education, considering social, cultural, and geopolitical factors. Discuss your own assumptions and compare them with anthropological perspectives. Use the four peer-reviewed research to support your analysis (I attached the sources to use in the files box). Conclude with insights on cultural change and the impact of your findings. Use APA or Chicago style for citations. Every important thing for what and how it needs to be done will be attatched!! The one media source that I thought could be “Documentary Film: “Where to Invade Next” (2015) – Directed by Michael Moore, explores innovative educational practices globally, including Finland’s student-centered approach.”

Purpose:
The goal of this exercise is to apply your knowledge about recovery techniques, lab techniques, results analysis to a modern case. Throughout the course we have discussed how modern forensic anthropologists work within medicolegal contexts to help identify human remains in a number of contexts. The student will choose one particular case associated with a forensic anthropologist (or forensic anthropologists). Students will examine the role of the forensic anthropologist throughout the case from recovery to final report and/or testimony.
Description:
Forensic anthropologists work on current criminal investigations and historical questions. For this assignment, the student will choose one modern forensic case and the forensic anthropologist who is/was associated with the case. The student will systematically identify the role of the forensic anthropologists in the recovery efforts, describe the laboratory techniques and analysis methods that the forensic anthropologist used to identify the victim(s) and the circumstances of their death. Students will conclude their assignment by discussing how and if this particular case made an impact on our understanding of forensic anthropology or forensic science. Students have complete creativity in this assignment and may choose any number of modern cases that interest them. The important consideration is that the case be modern (for example: Casey Anthony murder trial, Amanda Knox murder trial, O.J. Simpson murder trial) or be an old case revisited by a modern forensic anthropologist (examining the remains of Francisco Pizzaro, or Czar Nicholas II).
1. Case background
a. Identify the specific case your final project will focus on.
b. Summarize the event. When and where did it occur? Who was the victim?
2. The role of the forensic anthropologist
a. Identify the forensic anthropologist involved in the case.
· There may be more than one, particularly if this is related to a criminal investigation
· If a certified forensic anthropologist was not clearly involved in the case, you may also describe the medical examiner or coroner instead. Keep in mind that you will want to focus on the methods/techniques/analyses that we studied in this class. If you only find information about a forensic botanist that will probably not be useful for this write-up and you may need to choose a different case.
b. Identify the role of the forensic anthropologists involved. Was the forensic anthropologist used in recovery and analysis? Discuss their role in the case.
c. Discuss the forensic anthropologist’s findings
§ Recovery of remains: describe the findings (if applicable).
§ Individual identification: what material did they have? What were some of the methods that they used?
§ Antemortem analysis: what information was determined about the antemortem health or condition of the victim(s)? How did the forensic anthropologist determine this?
§ Postmortem analysis: what information was determined about the time of death and cause of death? How did the forensic anthropologist determine this?
§ Novel methods or analysis: what novel methods or analyses did the forensic anthropologist use in this case (if applicable)?
3. Significance and ethics
a. What was the overarching significance of this case?
b. Did this case lead to new discoveries or technologies in forensic anthropology?
c. Was the forensic anthropologist’s report called into question? Was their testimony and/or report a more neutral piece of evidence in the case?
4. References
a. Include two additional outside sources (no dictionaries or encyclopedias) in your write-up. For part 2 of the assignment details, you will likely want to consult courtroom reports or websites detailing the evidence presented in the case. You may be able to find transcripts of some testimony that is also helpful. You should both cite the sources to demonstrate how you used the sources in your assignment and also provide references. You should not use collaborative or personal opinion sources such as blogs, social networking pages, Wikipedia, Ask.com, Answers.com, Ehow.com, Encyclopedia Britannica, etc.
General requirements:
Submissions should be typed, double-spaced, 1″ margins, times new roman 12 pt font, and saved as .doc, .docx, .pdf.
Use APA format for citations and references

In your Reading Reflection, please choose 1 of the two weekly readings/materials (either the textbook reading or the other reading/podcast/film from the week) and include the following elements: Define 2–3 keywords or concepts from the reading and provide an example choose 2 to 3 keywords or concepts from the reading and define them using BOTH the definition you find in the text AND your own words. If you do not find a definition in the text, include only your own definition/paraphrase. Then, provide an example of the keyword or concept. The example can come from the text or it can come from elsewhere (e.g., other course materials, current events, etc.).*Hint: these keywords/concepts can come in handy to help you study for exams!ReflectionFor the rest of your 500 word reflection, critically discuss the reading/course material you chose. That is, what did you find particularly interesting, engaging, confusing, etc. about it, and why? What questions do you have, or what are you left wondering? Reading reflections are a chance for you to reflect on the material we are covering in class, as well as on your personal lived experiences and what you may be learning about or thinking in other classes, and how they all might connect.
The reading is included in the file.

Must contain 300 words
Michael Cepek argues that multiple factors contributed to the fact that the Cofan did not protest oil drilling activities for over thirty years, many of which he summarizes with the term “fearful passivity.”
Describe in some detail three of the things (historical and cultural) that he argues contributed to this fearful passivity. (worth 8 points each x 3 = 24 points)
Draw some parallels between the Cofan’s situation and an issue that is meaningful to you — an issue that you believe too many affected people are afraid to fight against due to their own version of fearful passivity (do not select sea level rise, since I discussed that in lecture). (8 points)
Integrates and Properly Cites Information from Class Lectures
Example of proper citation: (Lecture on Fieldwork and Methods, slide 5)
Integrates and Properly Cites Information from Readings and Films (if a film has been assigned)
Example of proper citation: (Book author’s name, p. 15) or (Film name, roughly where in the film it appears). For example, (Persepolis, minute 26)

FINAL ESSAY PROMPT: Was drought the fundamental cause of the collapse of the Classic Maya cities and their associated sociopolitical systems? Answer this question on the basis of the three articles we read on this topic. Consider, as appropriate for your answer: proximate versus ultimate cause; the structural characteristics of the sociopolitical system; the timing of the collapse; the historic and scientific evidence for drought; changing frequencies of warfare; long-term human-environmental interactions; socioeconomic factors; and the non-recovery postclassic. Be sure to make specific reference to the articles in your response.
Please be sure that the essay is well thought out, very detailed, and addresses ALL of the points on the prompt. GUIDELINES: 1. Your response should be double spaced, in 12 point font, and five to six pages in length. (The bibliography may be an extra page or included on the last page of your text. Be sure to follow the procedures for in-text citation and bibliography introduced in the first quiz (attached below). (You do not need to repeat the question in your response.)
2. Be sure to ONLY use the three provided articles as well as the attached lecture. NO OUTSIDE RESOURCES!!
3. To cite the lecture “in text,” use the following format: (Lecture 2024). For the other citations, follow the instructions attached below. PLEASE use a few direct quotes from the articles to back your argument and put them into quotation marks. 4. The format of the essay can be a total of 6 paragraphs. (Introduction, 4 body paragraphs—one for each article, and one to compare all of the articles, followed by a conclusion paragraph) Attached below are the 3 articles, the lecture you will need, as well as the instructions for the bibliography and in text citations.