Writing in the Disciplines: Anthropology
Course Outline - Catalog Content
Learning Activities
- Lecture - 3.0 hours
- Term Paper - 3.0 hours
Description
Advanced instruction in writing and practice in effective styles of communication in Anthropology and related academic and professional fields. GE: AH, WE.
Prerequisites
(UWP 001 C- or better or UWP 001V C- or better or UWP 001Y C- or better); ENL 003 C- or better; COM 001 C- or better; COM 002 C- or better; COM 003 C- or better; COM 004 C- or better; NAS 005 C- or better; 4 or 5 on AP English Lit and Comp exam; or 6 or better on IB HL English Exam.
Enrollment Restrictions
Restricted to upper division standing; Anthropology Major or Minor.
Summary of Course Content:
Instruction will emphasize the different approaches taken to each genre by the four fields of Anthropology. Students will engage in textual analysis to better understand why their particular subfield has developed specific writing conventions, and students will compose examples of those genres to improve their ability to engage in academic writing within the discipline. Topical Outline: 1) Analyzing the writing conventions, genres, and rhetorical choices employed in the four fields of anthropology: learning to effectively communicate within those fields. 2) Improving analytical reading and writing skills through close examination of anthropological literature. 3) Analyzing the different forms of evidence in anthropological writing, such as ethnographic interviews, population studies, artifact analysis, and linguistic attributes; understanding how different forms of evidence result in different rhetorical choices. 4) Composing assignments that demonstrate awareness of the conventions of anthropological writing, such as rhetorical analyses. 5) Composing assignments within genres common to Anthropological scholarship, such as book reviews, research proposals, and research papers; following conventions for structure and argumentation. 6) Practicing discipline-specific conventions for research, source analysis, and citation; correctly using specialized terminology. 7) Developing good habits in the writing process: prewriting, drafting, editing, and revising, and practicing techniques for that enhance clarity and coherence, while identifying purpose and audience.
Illustrative Reading:
Texts will vary according to the instructor, and will rely on a combination of scholarly readings from anthropological journals such as American Anthropologist, Antiquity, Anthropological Linguistics, Behavior, Current Anthropology, and the Journal of Field Archaeology, among others. These readings may be supplemented by a textbook on style or composition, such as Rosenwasser & Stephen’s Writing Analytically, or Hult’s Researching and Writing in the Social Sciences.
Potential Course Overlap:
This section of UWP 102N does not overlap with any other courses. It is distinct in its emphasis on writing styles and writing choices within the discipline of Anthropology. Although some of the writing genres cross disciplinary boundaries, the course emphasizes the particular format, choices, and topics pertinent to the four fields of Anthropology.
Final Exam:
Yes Final Exam
Justification for No Final Exam:
Final Examination Required