important!!! (Examples of topics and units are provided below, please complete it by relating to the files) (please focus on materials covered based on unit4 : Rituals, Stories, and Games from Unfamiliar Places )
Take time to do a bit of research on a topic relating to the class. These examples are
specific ways that you can think about course ideas and work towards situating your
own experiences in a larger picture.
Examples of topics and units that are good for these activities are:
•Rituals, Stories, and Games from Unfamiliar Places – based on material covered in
Unit 4: Pick an example of a ritual, story, or game from a culture that you do not consider yourself a part of, and that you would have to learn about by researching. These can be important rituals, myths, or sports that you can read about or watch videos of online. As you learn about this “unfamiliar” practice, try to consider how to think about it in culturally relative terms, and discuss what you think you can learn about the culture from knowing about it.
•Global Understanding of “Race” – Based on material covered in unit 8: Complete the “Global Census” activity on the American Anthropological Association’s “Understanding Race” page – . Describe your results. Discuss how you answered the questions – were any of the examples difficult for you to fit yourself into? If none of them were, what do you think that implies? Choose one or two countries whose census questions and/or your answers to them were particularly striking to you and compare/contrast the understandings of ‘race’ represented by the questions. Discuss the implications of an overview like this for how we understand race as a social construct.
•The Social Life of Material Things – based on material covered in unit 10: Many of the
objects we encounter and use in our everyday lives are built based on global
exchange and mobility. Consider one of these objects and break down the social
context that led to your having/using this object – ideally, the object you choose
should include multiple parts or aspects that have led to its production, but you may
also consider a simpler object that can be situated within complex social processes.
For example, you may consider a type of food like a chocolate chip cookie and try to
determine where each of the ingredients originates, highlighting how it has come to
be something available for your consumption. Objects that do not have multiple
ingredients, like a banana or tomato, can still be considered in relation to the labor
and context of its transportation and production. Consider how the object relates to
processes of migration, mobility, and exchange.