Anthropology can be bracing stuff, but too often it is read or viewed only be its own denizens.
This blog essay on the methods of New Yorker writer Malcolm Gladwell points the way to balancing data and drama; (excerpt)
when I use Gladwell with my students, it's as a reminder of the relationship between narrative and argument. Err too much on the side of narrative and you'll weave a captivating tale that might not hold together at the end. However, if you just pile on evidence
without providing a narrative through line, your reader can miss the bigger, brilliant point you are trying to make.
without providing a narrative through line, your reader can miss the bigger, brilliant point you are trying to make.
language localism in USA
from the weekly digest of "most emailed stories" at National Public Radio, npr.org
Look for the sample words given for each state, below, to see if you recognize any of them still alive today.
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
research abstracts on video!
[cross-post from blog.aaanet.org on Oct. 30, 2013]
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Fwd: Daily digest for August 3, 2013
Teaching Materials Exchange |
Looking for new ideas and materials for fall term? Check out AAA's new Teaching Materials Exchange. Search by course, syllabus, keyword or even instructor. Or browse through the database of more than 90 syllabi and teaching tools.
Don't forget to submit your materials to share as well.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
music class - bringing in diverse human experiences
While visiting a high school choir class, the anthropologist in me found ways to introduce vocal art to illustrate some of the variety of music expression. Surely there are more or better references to sample, but these came first to mind:
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-(Swiss; USA) yodeling
-(USA) work songs to synchronize group exertions
-(USA) Sacred Harp (shape note singing) in hollow square
-(USA) rapping (cf. Bobby McFerrin vocal percussion)
-(USA) vocal jazz 'scat singing'
-(Scotland) mouth music (imitating instruments)
-(ancient Britain) slaves brought to Imperial Rome: novelty of singing in 3rds
-(Bulgaria) women's chorus singing in 9ths and 7ths
-(Central Asia) Tuva "throat singing"
-song circles for healing
-(India) mantra repetitions
These could be extra-credit assignments for students to report to the class (or in writing to the teacher), for the teacher to playback samples (Wikipedia; Wikimedia), to demonstrate and challenge students to produce each of these.
Friday, November 11, 2011
some cultural anthro - Gifted & Talented
via e-newsletter at Michigan State University, Office of Gifted and Talented
Myth, Self, and Religion (3 MSU Honors Credits)
This course will enable students to explore the mythic quest for meaning, identity, value, and transcendence as seen through religious biography and literary narrative. They will study myth in relation to religious symbols and life-cycle rituals. The course will emphasize a cross-cultural perspective on religious world views and the interpretation of myth as sacred narrative.
For more information on this course, visit the wide-ranging wikispace created by a former REL205 class: http://rel205.wikispaces.com.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
2010 anthro-day (London, July; Wales, September)
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| Monday 30th August- Booking Ahead for Wales Anthropology Day
 Many of you who were not able to come to this year's London Anthropology Day will be happy to know that there is a sister event happening on the 16th of September in Wales. Every year the University of Wales Lampeter organises a free university taster day of anthropological workshops and films aimed at Year 12, 13, FE students and teachers. To find out more and book your free place visit this website. London Anthropology Day 2010 Photos now Online!  The London Anthropology Day 2010 is a university taster day for Year 12,13 and FE students, career advisors and teachers. Organised by the Royal Anthropological Institute's Education Programme in collaboration with the British Museum and participating universities the event was held on 8th July. This year's event included 18 universities from England, Ireland and Wales and over 350 participants making it the largest London Anthropology Day to date. Take a look at the this year's photos along with other anthropological events on this website.Saturday, January 9, 2010teaching anthro at US Marine Corps Universityhttp://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122362543 [Jan 9, 2010 Nat'l Public Radio, Weekend Edition-Saturday] In Class, Marines Learn Cultural Cost Of Conflict, mp3 audio download The students in front of Paula Holmes-Eber wear camouflage and have close-cropped hair. Most of them are Marine officers, and many of them have already been to war in Iraq and Afghanistan. They're here to learn the consequences of their actions. "Should we change another culture?" she asks the class. "The reality is, the second you land on the ground with 100,000 troops eating and using the materials of the area, you've changed the economy; you've changed the environment." "It's not should we," she tells them, "it's what are we doing — and is that what we want to be doing?" An anthropologist, Holmes-Eber trains American warriors to be sensitive to other cultures. She teaches operational culture at Marine Corps University in Quantico, Va. It's her job to get soldiers to think through how every move they make on the battlefield has a consequence — not just for enemy forces, but for ordinary people. [elipsis]
Thursday, July 2, 2009intro to anthro (2004) OpenCourse onlinepoint of reference when organizing a course to introduce anthro: Wednesday, June 3, 2009the Open Anthropology Cooperative - constellation
sets of interest groups on the Ning platform (one sign-up allows multiple Ning memberships)
http://openanthcoop.ning.com/ As of June 3, there are groups for Visual anthro, Anthro of Japan, Anthro of Brazil, Physical/forensic, and a Forum on general policy of this Cooperative intersection of groupings. Thursday, May 28, 2009What is Anthropology for?
Tuesday, July 1, 2008video online, Doing Anthropology
Mass. Inst. of Technology's Video Productions has created a new video called Doing Anthropology, to promote greater public understanding about cultural anthropology and the process of fieldwork. The video, which is housed on MIT TechTV (http://techtv.mit.edu/file/663/), is streamable and can be embedded into your personal blog or website.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008Friday, January 4, 2008bbc2 "Tribe" series 1-2-3
[opening snippet] "What is Tribe to me?
"Tribe has been my whole world for the last four years and is the most important thing in my life right now. It's a series about people and culture, our culture as well as others. We hope it's entertaining, because we want people to watch and enjoy, especially people who wouldn't normally tune into this type of programme, but we also hope we can communicate something important about the world." [continues, http://www.bbc.co.uk/tribe/bruce/index.shtml] titles & links to anthro research papersExamples of topics today by (U.K.) Goldsmiths > Dept Anthropology Friday, December 7, 2007sniper story ties Michigan to Iraq
While traveling recently I overheard the brief exchange between jet passengers waiting to de-plane. One middle-aged man perceived the younger man to be a member of the U.S. military who was on leave from his assignment. The older man said, "thanks for serving" and the younger man acknowledged this, then added, "we don't get that [recognition] enough." The older one asked whether the soldier was visiting family members, and indeed that was the case. The soldier volunteered that he was to be deployed to Iraq in early 2008 for a 13 month assignment and further said that at least his job was a "good job." He went on to say he was a sniper who was prepared to shoot a person 2000 meters away!
Later at the airport curbside I recognized him leaving with a small older woman who could have been his mother or aunt. The contrast between his casual comment about killing and now the comforts of him going home with (perhaps) his family gave me a mild shock. Come early 2008, when this service member is settled in to do his job, there may be someone there today whose life will end at that date when an order is given and the young man pulls his trigger. Of course, in armed conflicts, though, things can go the other way, too: by accident or according to the enemy's plan. Friday, August 24, 2007language links 24 august 2007
wwww.june29.com/HLP =Human Languages Page >Languages and Literature
www.sil.org/ethnologue [6703 languages...] http://sorrel.humboldt.edu/nasp/lang.html [Native American languages] www.cs.washington.edu/homes/kgolden/wordbot.html [machine translation, word-for-word]
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