ANTH 1120 Assignment #1: Cri4cal Reading Exercise Instruc4ons Worth 15% of final grade 3-4pages(double-spaced)Overview You must write a 3-4 page cri3cal summary of one of the ar3cles assigned as required reading from classes 4 or 5: oBohannan, Laura. 1966. Shakespeare in the Bush. Natural History (Aug.-Sept.), 28-33. oGmelch, George. 1971. Baseball Magic. Trans-Ac2on 8, no. 8, 39-41.oMiner, Horace. 1956. Body Ritual Among the Nacirema. American Anthropologist 58, no. 3,:503-507. Purpose The point of this exercise is to give you prac3ce with: oreading assigned material cri3cally, and for specific content; oci3ng ideas and informa3on thoroughly and accurately; oand making connec3ons between ethnographic examples and anthropological concepts. ContentYour summary must address the following points: 1. Argument and Suppor3ng Points (40-50% of total content) oSummarize the author’s argument, and two or three of the key points the author makes to support that argument.
oConven3onal ar3cles will usually outline the argument near the beginning of the introduc3on (much like a thesis statement in an essay) – but the argument is not always this easy to find.
oTo fully appreciate the argument, it is always necessary to read the en3re ar3cle and think about it as a whole. 2.Relevance to Course Content (20-30% of total content) oEach ar3cle expands upon the themes of the video lecture in the week for which it is assigned. oExplain what the ar3cle can add to lecture material regarding the topic of the week, and how lecture material can enrich our understanding of the ar3cle.
3. Cri3cal Ques3ons and Concerns (20-30% of total content)
oOutline and explain two or three cri3cal ques3ons or concerns about the ar3cle that you would ask the author if you could.
oThese ques3ons should address gaps, issues, and/or problems you may have iden3fied in the ar3cle. Yes/no or factual ques3ons are not adequate for this sec3on. oIssues to consider when formula3ng your ques3ons include:
oAre there aspects of the author’s argument that leave you unconvinced?
oDo you see any traces of older approaches to ethnography that contemporary anthropologists try to avoid? (ethnocentrism, typological thinking, cultural evolu3onism, etc.)
oDoes this portrayal of the community seem representa3ve, or are some groups excluded? Cita4ons oIt is impera3ve that you cite thoroughly and accurately. oEvery 3me you men3on an idea or fact derived from the ar3cle, you must note the page number on which it appeared – whether you men3on it in direct quotes or by paraphrasing. For example, Malinowski’s hypothesis about magic is highly relevant to baseball (Gmelch, 1971: 39).
oThe above is just one example to get started – there is much more to ci3ng properly. See the How & Why to Cite instruc3onal video (required viewing for October 19). FormaWng Instruc4ons
oDouble-spaced, 12 point Calibri or Times New Roman font, 2.5 cm (1 inch) margins, number the pages oOn the top lei corner of page one: your name, student number, course code, tutorial leader’s name, date submijed
oUse Chicago Style for in-text cita3ons and bibliographic references (brief guide: hjp://www.americananthro.org/StayInformed/Content.aspx?ItemNumber=2044).
oWrite in the first person (“I argue that…” not “it will be argued that…”)
oNo 3tle or “works cited” page needed for this assignment.
oUpload to Moodle (via the link provided near the top of the page) as a PDF or Word document