The Syllabus
The due date for the observation assignment
December 6th
How do you interpret this text? Can this statement apply to Canada?
The “land of promise” that’s celebrated in the Constitution of the United States has an unsavory flip side: the construction of the “defective” black subject. (2014:122)
Using statements like this from the text would help you support your arguments in your take-home assignment
Primitive -> _____ -> Modern
Transitional Society
Give three examples of how power impacts our day to day lives
Three examples
What is culture?
Behaviours, beliefs, symbols, language, values etc. that are accepted and followed by a group.
How much the observation assignment is worth
25%
How has Renegade Dreams discussed economy and urban spaces?
Informal vs formal neighbourhoods
The Neighbourhood Coalition to combat local government intervention (which would have driven property costs up aka gentrification)
How has ethnocentrism impacted anthropology?
Anthropology in the past was often used in conjunction with colonial frameworks, resulting in "anthropologists" comparing non-European cultures to European cultures
Who exercises coercive power?
The State
What is the importance of memory to culture?
Dynamic cultural connector
Shapes identities, preserves traditions, fosters a sense of belonging
When the take-home exam is due
December 22nd
Describe 2 examples of Renegade Dreams discussing power
Two examples
Why is history important to anthropologists?
All cultures come from something
Why is discussing power important in anthropology?
- Anthropology exists within institutions that have some kind of power over people
- Anthropologists have power as the interviewer (they have power over the interviewee)
- Discussing and identifying power provides insight into how other people are impacted by power
Explain the difference between cultural relativity and ethnocentrism, and give 1 concrete example for each
Cultural relativity: Not judging a culture based on one's own cultural norms
Ethnocentrism: Believing one's own culture is superior to others
How much the take-home final is worth
25%
The three parts of "history" in Renegade Dreams
History as registered
History as lived
History as emergent
How could you incorporate history into the Observation assignment?
The history of the space, the historical use of the space, past owners, how the current owners came to develop or purchase the space
What is hegemony?
social, cultural, ideological, or economic influence exerted by a dominant group
the dominance of one group over another, supported by legitimating norms and ideas.
political or cultural dominance or authority over others.
Give 3 concrete examples of how memory is a tool for cultural resilience
Three examples