ANTH 101: Beyond 101 Essay (Fall 2021)
This course has attempted to offer a broad survey of the myriad research topics, questions, and techniques
that compose the diverse discipline of anthropology. It’s now your turn to explore your own interests
through anthropology.
For this essay, we will ask you to explore UNC library’s anthropology resources and find a
peer-reviewed
article or book on a topic that personally resonates with you. The topic can be literally
anything
as long
as the piece
brings anthropological theories and techniques to bare
on the subject.
-
Peer-reviewed sources
are those that are written and then reviewed and vetted by experts in the
field. Academic books from reputable university and private publishers are peer-reviewed.
Journals will indicate whether or not they are peer-reviewed.
-
Peer-reviewed anthropology and archaeology journals can be found through UNC Library’s
E-
Research by Discipline
portal, under
Anthropology
(
https://anthrosource-onlinelibrary-wiley-
com.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/
).
Once you have chosen your article, address the following in 1500 words:
1)
In one paragraph,
summarize the article/book.
(25 points)
It’s important to be able to read a piece and then relate a comprehensive summary of it. This does
not mean you have to address every point the source makes. Rather, you are providing a summary
of its major
topics
, the
research questions
asked of that topic, the
methods
used to explore those
questions, and the research
results
.
2)
List and explain two takeaways from the piece.
(2 x 25 points; 50 points total)
We generally end class with three or so takeaways. These are the points that, if nothing else, I
hope you walk away remembering. I’d like you to find your own takeaways from your reading.
Takeaways can be but are not necessarily the main points the author is trying to make. Rather,
they are the
arguments and revelations of piece that resonate most with you
.
List each takeaway and explain in
detail
why it resonates with you.
3)
Relate one of the above takeaways to a past or present crisis. How does this point help you make
sense of the crisis?
(25 points)
A recurrent theme in this course has been the
application
of anthropological theories, methods,
and studies
to real-world dilemmas
, either in the world around us or in our own lives. Apply
what you’ve learned from this article to a crisis of your choosing, be it personal or public. How
has this study helped you
see the crisis in a new way
? In what ways has this new perspective
helped you navigate the crisis
. How
might this perspective help others
?
As this is a formal essay,
spelling
,
grammar
, and
formatting
are expected. Out of respect to readers,
please adhere a length of
1500 words
. (10 points)
Papers that exceed 1500 words will not be accepted.
You are expected to support your arguments and interpretations with properly formatted in text
citations
to your selected piece. You are welcome, but not required to use sources other than your selected article or
book. Please include a
bibliography
included all cited works, including your selected article/book.
Due to the Assignments tab on
Monday December 6
th
@ 5:00 pm EST
.
No late papers will be accepted
.
