Communication
Conventions in Anthropology
Effective communication in anthropology involves learning five sets of skills. Interested majors may opt to master a sixth skill (presenting anthropological research in visual form):
1. Learning the key concepts, major theoretical schools, and the principal figures within the discipline of anthropology
2. Understanding and evaluating scholarly work, which involves comprehending the connection between theoretical frameworks, data, and analysis
3. Designing an original ethnographic research project, communicating effectively and professionally with human subjects and stake-holders, and presenting research results
4. Presenting anthropological ideas in written form through the construction of critical arguments supported with ethnographic and archaeological data
5. Presenting anthropological ideas in an orderly and clear oral form
6. Presenting anthropological research visually in a culturally sensitive way
* * *
1.
Learning
the key concepts,
major theoretical schools, and the principal figures within the discipline of
anthropology:
Students are introduced to the key concepts, the major theoretical schools, and the principal figures within the discipline of anthropology. This begins in ANTH 103 “Introduction to Cultural Anthropology” and ANTH 106 “Introduction to Archaeology and Physical Anthropology,” where students learn about the four sub-fields of the discipline. They deepen their understanding of key concepts, major theoretical schools, and principal figures as they take a series of 200- and 300-level topical and regional courses. In upper-level anthropology courses, particularly ANTH 300 “History of Anthropological Theory” and ANTH 400 “Capstone Experience,” students synthesize and augment their prior knowledge by systematically examining the history of ideas within the discipline and the contemporary conceptual problems that anthropologists examine through their research. They emerge able to talk about culture, humanity, diversity, and social change in a proficient and well-rounded manner.
2.
Understanding
and evaluating scholarly work, which involves comprehending the connection
between theoretical frameworks, data, and analysis:
Anthropology students are expected
to understand and evaluate how anthropologists construct
arguments and use data to support
those arguments. We also aim to elucidate the connection between
theoretical frameworks, data, and analysis. In all ANTH 103 and
106 sections, students read original anthropological works including scholarly
articles and full-length ethnographies or archaeological monographs. Faculty use a variety
of techniques to guide them in their reading of such works, including lectures,
thought questions, class discussion, group work, reaction papers, and “posts”
to Blackboard. The 200-level courses expand this knowledge in relation to
specific topics and regions. In 200-level classes students learn the structure
of a research paper, and in ANTH 323 “Field Methods in Anthropological Research”
students learn the architecture of a research proposal and of an ethnographic
paper. Students engage in their most sophisticated analysis of written scholarly
work in ANTH 300
“History of Anthropological Theory” and ANTH 400 “Capstone Experience.” In
these classes students become familiar with a) the format and construction
of the various genres of anthropological writing including journal articles,
books, and journalistic/popular pieces; b) the ways that authors craft anthropological
texts (students’ are taught to analyze authorial style,
representation of non-Western people, underlying political agenda, etc.);
and c) the theoretical grounding of these texts, which students are required
to analyze and critique.
3.
Designing
an original ethnographic research project,
communicating effectively and professionally with human subjects and
stake-holders, and presenting research results:
In ANTH 103 “Introduction
to Cultural Anthropology,” students are introduced to the methodology and
importance of qualitative research, particularly participant-observation.
They examine the dialogic nature of fieldwork, the nature of relationships
with collaborators in the field, and the potential for cross-cultural mis-communication.
Some sections of ANTH 103 involve a mini-ethnography in which students conduct
interviews and engage in participant-observation. In ANTH 106 students are introduced to archaeological methods,
research design, sampling, comparative and quantitative analyses, and interpretation
through exercises based on a simulated archaeological dataset as well as readings,
discussion, and writing.
Many
200-level courses require students to write research paper that uses published
materials to address an analytical, comparative, or historical question. In the process they are given practice in identifying appropriate
scholarly resources through bibliographic instruction and exercises. Students are trained in proper citation techniques using
conventions of the American Anthropological Association. In
some courses, including ANTH 323, they
also learn to use Procite, a bibliographic database, that automatically formats
cited materials. In addition to learning how to communicate effectively during
fieldwork, students learn to access anthropological works through library
databases and keep records of these works through the bibliographic program
Procite. Anthropology
students are assisted in this endeavor by the hyper-linked guide, “Basic Strategy
for Background Research in Anthropology,” which is available online (through
the department webpage and through the library anthropology webpage).
Students hone the communication skills necessary for anthropological research in ANTH 323 “Field Methods in Cultural Anthropology.” In this class they conduct anthropological fieldwork and write up a final ethnography. They learn how to construct a research proposal, how to design a set of coherent interview questions, how to obtain informed consent for subjects’ inclusion in a research project, how to conduct semi-structured interviews, how to record such interviews on a minidisk recorder, how to transcribe interviews, how to code and analyze fieldnotes and interviews, and how to write an ethnographic research paper.
4.
Presenting
anthropological ideas in written form through the construction of critical
arguments supported with ethnographic and archaeological data:
All courses in anthropology require extensive writing, and students are encouraged to view writing not simply as a method through which professors assess their learning but as an exercise through which they can synthesize ideas and think creatively. ANTH 103 and 106 include a variety of writing assignments such as formal essays, reaction papers, informal “posts” to threaded discussion groups, and in-class free-writing. All 200-level courses also include writing assignments, often in the form of analytical essays or research papers, that argue and support original ideas and that involve critical thinking. Students must demonstrate an understanding of scholarly citation practices and use bibliographic formats common to the discipline. Students receive considerable feedback on their writing efforts, often in the form of comments on first drafts. In the 300- and 400-level courses, students learn a more professional style of writing, which includes a research proposal and a professional research report in ANTH 323 (as discussed above).
5.
Presenting
anthropological ideas in an orderly and clear oral form:
Students in anthropology learn to orally present ideas in a clear, focused manner, and are given numerous formal and informal opportunities to improve their presentation skills. All courses include a significant emphasis on student discussion, requiring students to articulate anthropological ideas “on their feet.” Pedagogical techniques that draw students into the oral articulation of ideas include full class discussion (often conducted in a circle if room shape and class size permit), small group discussion, and class debate. In some 200- and 300-level courses students are responsible for in-class presentations and for leading class discussion. In other classes students work together in groups to prepare and present a topic to the class, which fosters collaboration and team-work. In ANTH 323 “Field Methods in Anthropological Research,” students formally present their own ethnographic fieldwork, and in ANTH 400, students present the results of their semester-long research project.
6.
Presenting
anthropological research visually in a culturally sensitive way
Because anthropology examines
peoples, contemporary and past cultures, and archaeological remains in many
different parts of the world, visual presentation is a very important
communication strategy within the discipline.