Writing Culture

How can we uncover the fragile meanings that motivate human behavior? How can we convey something of these meanings to a wider audience? Can these meanings form the basis for a scientific (i.e. generalizable, empirical, and falsifiable) study of humanity? This course addresses core methodological questions by engaging students in a practical workshop on ethnographic research and writing. During the course, students will collaborate on group research projects as well as designing and carrying out an individual ethnographic project. In both group and individual projects, students will gain experience in making structured observations, writing and revising field notes, conducting ethnographic interviews, and analyzing interlocutors' narratives. As we explore these methodological issues, we will also engage the product of ethnographic research: ethnographic writing. In sampling a range of historical and contemporary ethnographies, we will explore where anthropology has been and ask where it may be going. Offered in rotation in the spring. Fulfills SS Distribution.