Posted: September 13th, 2017

Cultural Anthropology

Cultural Anthropology

Order Description

Book we use is: Conformity & Conflict
Author:Spradley
Edition:14th

Distance Minnesota – Cultural Anthropology Online: Ethnography Guidelines
There are two primary goals for this assignment. First, this assignment assesses your ability to synthesize the course material and your experiences. Second, this assignment assesses your ability to evaluate the ways in which cultural anthropology affects your ability to define and perform your civic responsibilities at local, regional, national, and global levels. You should note that the paper itself is split into two distinct parts to highlight each of these goals.
FORMAT
Length: 4-5 pages (Reference pages and/or title pages do not count)
Line Spacing: Double-spaced
Font Type: Arial
Font Size: 12 pt.
First Page Heading Information (single-spaced):
First and Last Name
Course Name and Semester
Title of the Paper (Optional – Could just be titled “Ethnography”)
REFLECTION PAPER INSTRUCTIONS
To work effectively as a cultural anthropologist you must be able to “speak the language” of cultural anthropology. The first half of your paper requires you to use the language of cultural anthropology (i.e. bolded terms from the class material) to your own way of life to illustrate your fluency in the language of cultural anthropology. In other words, I would like you to provide a brief description of the culture of a society or social group of which you are a member using at least five of the key concepts introduced in the class material. Once you have conducted this brief ethnography, you will hold the status of a cultural anthropologist. As with any status, there are multiple roles associated roles. Thus, the second half of your paper requires you to describe what you feel are your roles as a cultural anthropologist within the local, regional, national, and global community that surrounds you. Each of these sections should be roughly two-pages in length, making your entire paper between four to five pages long. I anticipate that you will find it difficult to address each of these goals in two pages; however, the page length requirements are set in this manner to help you develop the skills to address fairly large topics in a clear and concise manner. To assist in this developmental process, I encourage all of you to write whatever comes to mind at length and then edit your paper so as to highlight what you feel are the strongest and most essential elements.

GRADING RUBRIC
1st half (50 points)
You must reference at least five elements from our textbook. Each successful reference is worth ten points each making this section worth a possible fifty points.
2nd half (40 points)
Describing your role as a cultural anthropologist at each level (i.e. local, regional, etc…) is worth ten points each making this section worth a possible forty points.
Communication
(10 points)
The paper meets the format guidelines listed above, has no significant errors in spelling and/or grammar, and communicates the intentions of the author effectively.
FINAL DRAFT
The final draft of your reflection paper must be submitted to the “Dropbox” on D2L by Sunday, May 10 at 11:59pm. Failure to submit your paper by this deadline will result in the automatic forfeiture of all points possible for this assignment. There will be no exceptions for late submissions.
TIP FOR SUCCESS
1. Ask questions. If do not understand the directions, feel that the grading rubric is unclear, or there is something else keeping you from completing this project feel free to email me. Make sure you ask questions in a timely manner as well. Emailing me the day before the due date will not provide you with much assistance.
2. Write to an uninformed audience. Act as if you are writing to someone who is entirely unfamiliar with what you are discussing. Even though I may know what you are talking about, I need to know with certainty that you know what you are talking about. I cannot assess your knowledge of the information on the assumption that you know. Therefore, be sure to provide the basic definitions for the concepts you use throughout your assignment and make sure that all of your thoughts are fully realized and communicated effectively.
3. Use the classroom material. You are required to make at least five references to the textbook, but each article in the textbook represents an example of how to apply these concepts within ethnography. Therefore, each article can serve as a model for something you could discuss within the first half of your paper. Regarding the second half, the last section of our textbook is dedicated to describing the many ways in which individuals can use cultural anthropology. One article is even titled “Using Anthropology.” You should be able to use these articles as a model for topics that you can discuss in the second half of your paper.
4. Write to inform, not to entertain. Do not worry about constructing a “catchy” narrative or “grabbing the reader’s attention.” I am already interested in reading what you have to write, so do not focus on making your paper exciting or interesting. In fact, you should keep in mind that the same elements of your life that you find “boring,” “mundane” or “common” may be considered extraordinary by someone else…and I am a bit of a “nerd” and can find almost anything highly fascinating.
5. Use your own thoughts, ideas, and analysis. I cannot emphasize this enough. All submissions will be checked for plagiarism. Any indications will result in a zero for the assignment.