Assignment 2: Be An Anthropologist

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Assignment 2: Be An Anthropologist
Purpose:
The goal of this exercise is to observe a 'cultural scene' as an anthropologist would (i.e. based on
everything you have learned in the course to-date). The student will analyze their observations in
terms of themes from the subfield of cultural anthropology such as how it helps frame our
societies (family, lifestyle, lineage, language and communication) and, in some ways, its
evolution.
Description:
Culture as we have discussed in our readings is an incredible advantage that has allowed
humans to enter almost every niche in nature. The development and maintenance of culture is
what sets humans apart from other species. Culture varies by time and location. For this
assignment, students will be observing a particular setting for 25 minutes, writing up your
observations, and then analyzing them.
Directions:
Choose a time and location for where/when you are going to conduct your observations of an
ethnographic scene

2. a.Examples of possible ethnographic scenes
i.The coming and going of shoppers in a mall
ii.Getting on and riding the bus
iii.Buying coffee at a coffee shop
iv.Crossing at a cross-walk
3) 3) Go to the specified location and proceed with your observations.
a.The easiest way to do this is to find a place to sit quietly and to simply watch what is going
i.Please do not talk to or interview people during this time.
b.Take handwritten (recommended) notes in a small notebook and/or mental notes of:
i.details about the scene itself (time of day, lighting, furniture, plants, sounds, temperature, smell,
vibe/energy, etc)

3. ii.the people around you, not only their behavior but general information about their
characteristics (age, race/ethnicity, gender, class, etc)
iii.what you see people doing
1.this is the heart of your description and should provide the instructor of how the people you saw
were involved in the scene you were observing
iv. your thoughts and feelings while observing may be a brief section of the paper.
4) When your 25 minutes are finished, leave the scene. In a quiet place, fill out your notes. Be
sure you include more details about the topics from step 3.
a. At this time, you should start to think about what themes, patterns, or conclusions you
saw. This step is critical.
b. Type up your notes (you will add them to the end of your write-up)
5) 5) Write a 3 - 5 page reaction paper about your observations Your paper should include
a.Discussion about and definition of culture using our course materials

4. b.a ‘thick description’ of the location
i.i.e. building you were in (what is the architecture like), descriptions of people there (in terms of
characteristics: age, race/ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status), sounds, smells, temperature,
time of day and week, etc
c.clear detail of your observations
d.analyze your observations, their themes and patterns using at least four anthropological
concepts from the text and lecture notes so far
i.this should include clearly identifying the concept you are going to use, defining the concept
using the text, and then applying the concept to your observationii. this requirement is key for a
good grade, as it is about observing and commenting – not just describing
iii. common mistake- do not apply the four subfields of anthropology; do not apply the four
parts of the definition of culture
iv. Anthropological concepts are
anthropological terms and ideas. Examples of some that we've studied include: ethnocentrism,
ethnicity, reciprocity, kinship, language and communication. ​You should not use this exact list of
four concepts and expect them to fit your observation scene. You may, of course, use others -
depending on what concepts are relevant to your observation. Lists of additional key concepts
can be found in Lessons, in the Lesson Overview section. We also have two examples to share

5. with you from APUS anthropologists- one from Jennifer Cramer's fieldwork in The Gambia and
one from James Turner's fieldwork in Mexico.
e.Conclude with a discussion of and reflection on your experience of the situation. For example
you might write how you felt when you started to detect a pattern in characteristics and/or
behavior.
f.Include your observation notes
Disclaimer
Originality of attachments will be verified by Turnitin. Both you and your instructor will receive the
results.
Writing Expectations
All written submissions should be submitted using APA formatting. In part, this includes:
● Typewritten in double-spaced format with a readable style and font and submitted
inside the electronic classroom.
● Arial 11 or 12-point font or Times New Roman styles.

6. ● Page margins Top, Bottom, Left Side and Right Side = 1 inch, with reasonable
accommodation being made for special situations and online submission variances.