Welcome to anthropology! This class is the second of two introductory units in the anthropology department, and aims to give students an understanding of how anthropologists think. By the end of this semester, you should not only understand what anthropology is and what anthropologists do, but you should also feel like you know how to think like an anthropologist. You will be then able to apply anthropology as a lens to yourself, and decide for yourself what anthropology means. The lecturers and tutors in this class have decided to embrace recent changes, and put students in the driver’s seat.
Although each student is driving their way through this class, you won’t do it alone! We have created a sequence for you to follow every week. As you work through each week’s checklist of tasks, you will have several opportunities to make connections with your peers and to discuss with them what you and they are discovering about anthropology. Your tutors will help you plan and prepare your writing assignments in tutorials, and your lecturers will be available every week to discuss each week’s topics and the class as whole.
To begin, move on to Module Zero and read through the information about how this class will be run this semester. When you are ready, move on to Module I: Rethinking birth. (Also, you will have your first tutorial meeting in Week 1.) Holly is looking forward to meeting you during her live Zoom office hour on Monday at 10 a.m. of Week 1.
This is an acknowledgment that the Sydney University Department of Anthropology <html><strong></html><html><a href=“https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/council/about-council/welcome-to-country” title='More information on the indigenous owners of Sydney'></html>occupies the lands of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation<html></a></html><html></strong></html>, and furthermore that our work as anthropologists brings us into contact with many communities whose sovereignty is denied.
ANTH 1002: Anthropology in the world—A guide to the unit
Assignments: Qualitative analysis of a birth interview, Cultural contextualization of an observation about childhood, Assessing Mauss’s influence: An exercise in research skill, Constructive criticism of a colleague’s Mauss research, Critique of your own cultural assumptions, Lecture questions
Class info: Welcome to anthropology, What is anthropology, and why should we care?, What we will do in class, Attendance, timetables, lectures, tutorials, and the hybrid format of this class, Late work, special consideration, and no-disadvantage assessment, The keys to success in this class, How to Zoom to class, Types of scholarly writing, Writing an effective email, Formatting and software requirements for assignments