ANTHRO 98A - Junior Tutorial in Anthropology

Prof. Damina Khaira
M 12:00-1:30pm

ANTHRO 98a is a research design course: geared towards guiding and developing an anthropological research project that you are curious and passionate about. We will read, discuss and consider case studies that reflect lived experiences from diverse communities and contexts across a variety of topics and frameworks within the discipline. As we walk through on-the- ground and recorded examples of ethnographic/ archaeological research, we will explore and compare different approaches in identifying research problems, conducting research, and writing anthropologically. We will also read latest works produced by departmental faculty, including your Tutor, to get a sense of the range of topics, questions, and new methods that are possible in anthropological research. This course also offers you a space to then apply what you have learned through designing your projects and sharing your research goals, experiences, and components of your emerging work with peers for feedback. Through structured assignments, seminar workshops, discussions with invited faculty and regular individual meetings with instructors, you will produce an original anthropological essay based on your research over the course of the semester. In short, this course will arm you with the critical tools to start thinking about your own independent research project. Please note that the research project you start to brainstorm in this course does not have to be your Senior Thesis project. In other words, your chosen research topic for this semester is only for the purposes of this course, and you are not confined to this research topic beyond this semester, although you can certainly continue to pursue this same research topic. As part of this course, you will be asked to reach out to at least one departmental faculty member to discuss the direction and feasibility of your research ideas. Please note that this course has a weekly 1.5 hour course meeting that is complemented with 1 hour tutorial/section meetings with your Tutor.

Required of all concentrators in Anthropology.