Academic research writing assignment: Due May 20
Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
May 11 (Wednesday) the class will meet in building 34, room 106 at 9 a.m. There
you will get help from me and from Margaret Thomas to begin your research.
Remember, your final culture group paper will combine:
Fieldwork observations + comparisons with other cultures + theory/concept = analysis
The purpose of the academic research writing assignment is to collect information for the
comparison and theory components of the final paper.
One purpose of this assignment is to help you narrow your focus for your main culture
group paper. What in particular about your group will you focus on? Another purpose is to
help you find academic resources that will assist you to analyze your fieldwork
observations (answer the why questions). Much of this assignment could be included in
your final paper.
1) Begin by describing how your group is a culture group, using the 8-part definition of
culture we discussed at the beginning of the term. (See last page of this handout)
Part of your final paper includes defending your group as a culture or sub culture,
so these paragraphs, if done with care, could be incorporated almost directly into
your term paper.
2) Choose one or a few of the theoretical and comparative topics discussed in class,
in your text books, or that you find on your own in anthropological articles. Your
theoretical/concept focus might come from one of the articles that you find as well.
Choose a theoretical focus that can help you interpret the fieldwork information
you are collecting. Some examples: time, space, relativism, ethnocentrism,
storytelling, humor, enculturation, language, personality, economics, reciprocity,
egalitarianism, stratification, radical critique, hegemony, power, hidden transcripts,
kinship, gender, symbolic art and identity, magic, religion, marriage and family,
conflict, resistance, culture change, culture contact etc. etc.
3) Go to the library in person or through the internet to find the following:
A.
Academic articles or book chapters or documentaries that describe a group similar
to the one you are observing (church groups, homeless people, hippies, office
workers, etc.)
Example: topic industrial or “blue collar” workers.
Julie Lindquist. 2002. A Place to Stand: Politics and Persuasion in a Working Class Bar. Oxford
University Press. (book)
B.
For the purpose of cross-cultural comparison, academic articles or book chapters
or documentaries that describe a similar group in a culture or sub-cultures outside of
the United States.
Example: topic youth groups.
Szapu, Magda. 2003. Contemporary Youth Group Cultures in a Town in Western Hungary. Acta
Ethnographica Hungarica: An International Journal of Ethnography (AEH) 48 (1-2). 89-122.
(article)
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C.
Academic articles or book chapters that help enhance your theoretical/concept
tools for cultural interpretation.
Example: topic skateboarding and other aspects of city life viewed through theory/concepts
related to human spatial behaviors and proxemics.
Arkette, S. 2004. Sounds Like City. Theory, Culture and Society 21 (1): 159-+ Feb. (article)
4) Finish finding at least one article or book chapter(s) or documentary for each
category, A, B, and C. Write a synopsis of each article/chapter. Include an
explanation of how the information in each article might be used within your final
paper.
Synopses should include summaries of main points and descriptions of how the information
might help you describe, define, and interpret your own observations.
Write at least 4½ pages total for the entire research writing assignment. Your paper should
be in 12 point type with 1 inch margins.
5) Practice citing your sources within your text.
Include a bibliography at the end.
Getting help:
 You can take this assignment sheet to the librarians, who are more than willing to
help you with research tools.
 You may also ask me for assistance. Come visit me in room 206, upstairs in Building
23, especially between 10 a.m. to 10:50 a.m. Monday through Friday, or from noon to
1 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays. We can also arrange a time if you cannot make
office hours.
 You may also contact me by email (classdiscourse@yahoo.com) to talk about your
sources, your culture group, your theoretical/topic focus, or to ask for assistance in
finding sources. I am happy to help.
 The writing center is an excellent resource for assistance in putting together your
paper. Several students in the past have utilized this resource with positive results.
About academic sources
In order to identify whether or not the article or book or web source you are looking at is of
academic quality (peer-reviewed):
1. Look at the publisher. If the journal or book is published by an academic press – a
college or university press – it is likely academic source material.
2. Look at the author’s credentials. Is the author an expert in her/his field, with
academic degrees associated with a college or university?
3. In the library catalog post of an article, you can click on the name of the journal to
get more information about it. Look to see if it is an academic publication.
4. See the wiki for more information about doing library research.
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Passwords for library resources
Spring 2011
EBSCO,
Peer
including CINAHL
Reviewed
Scholarly
Proquest
Journals,
Magazines,
Newspapers America's Newspapers
Library Catalog
Books,
Media, and
Electronic
Books
Magazines and peer reviewed scholarly journals. Username:
spscc Password: mars
Magazines and peer reviewed scholarly journals. Username:
southpuget Password: mars
Local, state, and national newspapers, including the
Olympian and Seattle Times. Username: spscc Password:
clipper
Books, videos, and DVDs in the SPSCC library. No log on.
Electronic Book
Collection/eBrary
27,000 electronic full text books. Use SID number to
access.
Films on Demand
7,000+ educational programs from Films Media Group.
Username: south Password: puget
Credo
500 references books for topic overviews. Use SID number
to access.
Gale Virtual Reference 12 specialized encyclopedias. Use SID number to access.
Dictionaries
Oxford English
Dictionary
Career
WOIS (Washington
Occupational
Information System)
Cultural
and Social
Life
e-reserves
Tutoring
Username: spscc Password: clipper
Ask your teacher/counselor for the site key.
In-depth information about cultures and ethnic groups.
Includes full-text books. Username: library@spscc.ctc.edu
eHRAF
Password: clipper06
Country specific information. Username: spscc Password:
Global Road Warrior
clipper
Go back to library homepage to access. Password is same as
course name and number as given, without a space.
e-reserves
Example: math101
Go back to library homepage to access. User ID:
spscc+student id Example: spscc875123456 Password:
Smarthinking
spscc
Hours: Mon-Thur: 7:30am to 9:00pm; Fri: 7:30am to 4:30pm; Sat: 12:00pm to 4:00pm. Closed
Sundays and Holidays.
Phone: 360-596-5271 Email: library@spscc.ctc.edu Live chat from the homepage 24/7
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Defending your group as a culture or subculture
As you work on your research papers, remember that the first part includes describing
why the group you are observing is a culture group. Defending your group as a culture or
subculture involves describing your culture group through the 8-part definition of culture
that we talked about in the first week of class. I've included the 8 parts in this message
with questions you might consider that are related to each part.
The eight part definition of culture includes considering what distinguishes your culture
group from other culture groups. Following are examples of questions you can ask
yourself in regard to culture and your study group.
Learned: What do members learn to be part of the culture? How do they learn what they
need to know?
Shared: Who shares the specialized knowledge, symbols, values, etc. of the group and
what do they share? Who are the teachers?
Symbolic: What are the shared symbols (clothing, icons etc.), language forms, etc. that are
part of people's identities in relation to this subculture?
Moral: What beliefs and rules about 'right' and 'wrong' do the group members share that
distinguish them as part of their culture or subculture?
Limit-setting: What rules about behavior, language, beliefs, clothing, etc. etc. do group
members share and 'enforce', either through gossip, avoidance, letting people know they
have crossed a boundary, punishment, etc. etc. As a clue to limits and boundaries, what
would make someone embarrassed in the group?
Changing: What kinds of changes has the group experienced? How do changes come
about, and how do people respond to these changes?
Integrated: In culture, if you change one part, you influence other parts. (If you change
the economy you likely change the political structure, ideological structure, etc. etc. If you
change political structures, you influence changes in the economy and ideological
structure.) . How is the work and purpose of your group connected with its rules,
economy, rituals, symbols, ideology, membership, etc. etc.?
Adaptive: When the environment changes (economic, political, group membership etc.
etc.), what are the social/cultural mechanisms that come into play in order for the group
to adapt? What types of circumstances are connected to a necessity to adapt?
Sometimes cultural rules, beliefs, and behaviors are maladaptive. This means that some
behaviors, expectations, rituals, and shared values no longer support the health or
integrity of the group. Are there any signs of maladaptiveness in your culture group?
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