Course Materials & Slides:

• Anthropology and the Four Subfields
• Ethnographic Field Methods
• Case Studies in Ethics
• What is Culture?
• Culture Shock Slides
  • Culture Shock Worksheet
• Ethnicity and Race
• Language and Communication
  • PBS "Do You Speak American?"
• Marriage, Kinship and Descent
• BBC article on dowry burning
• Anne Fausto-Sterling, "Are Two Sexes Enough?"
• Jean Kilbourne; Killing Us Softly website
• Making a Living
• Magic, Religion, & Spirituality

Ethnographic Project Tips and Tricks*:

(*your instructor STRONGLY suggests you read these resources! Very helpful!)

• Ethnographic Note-taking Tips
• Strategies for Interviewing
• Guide to writing annotated bibliographies
• Sample project proposal
• Sample Consent Form for interviews
• Sample chronological outline

The goal of this course is to introduce you to the foundational concepts, methods, and data of cultural anthropology.

We will critically think, read, and watch films about cultural differences, ethnic diversity, and the relationship between power and action. We will review ethnographic work that explains and describes anthropological phenomena. You will also practice the methods of anthropology through small fieldwork projects and learn more about what it takes to become a "professional stranger."

In all these respects, the course contributes to the wider aims of a liberal arts education, and I hope you find the goals of this course useful in many aspects of your life as an NVC student and beyond!