The document describes an assignment for students to analyze cultural features of Americans by "making the familiar strange." Students are challenged to: [1] Select a familiar American cultural practice and [2] Describe it objectively from the perspective of cultural observers in order to [3] Make the familiar practice seem strange. The goal is to help students understand cultural practices of other groups by analyzing their own culture in an unfamiliar way.

1. Making the Familiar Strange...
HERE ARE YOUR GROUPS!

2. A.S.S.C.
The American Society for the Study of Culture

3. A.S.S.C.
The American Society for the Study of Culture
IN STUDYING THE VALUES, CUSTOMS, AND TRADITIONS OF THE
AMERICANS, WE MADE SOME STARTLING DISCOVERIES...DURING WHAT
APPEARS TO BE A COMPLEX WINTER RITUAL, THE AMERICANS WORSHIP A
DEITY OF NATURE. FIRST THE AMERICANS REMOVE A NEEDLED TREE FROM
THEIR SURROUNDINGS AND INSTALL IT IN A SACRED PLACE IN THEIR
HOMES. WE SUSPECT THAT THE TREE SERVES AS AN IDOL REPRESENTING
THEIR NATURE GOD. THERE, THE IDOL IS CEREMONIALLY GARNISHED
WITH VALUABLE METALS AND JEWELS SYMBOLIZING ITS HOLINESS. THE
WINTER CELEBRATION THEN TAKES A PARTICULARLY STRANGE TURN
WITH THE RITUALISTIC “HUNT FOR OFFERINGS”. HERE, THE AMERICANS
SCOUR THE COUNTRYSIDE TO OBTAIN OFFERINGS THEY BELIEVE WILL BE
MOST PLEASING TO THE WINTER GOD. REVERENCE FOR THEIR GOD IS
ALSO SHOWN BY THE CEREMONIAL DECORATION OF THE OFFERINGS IN
BRIGHT COLORS. STRANGELY, THE AMERICANS APPEAR TO GO TO SUCH
LENGTHS TO PLEASE THEIR GOD, THAT THE DECORATION OFTEN
CONCEALS THE VALUE OF THE OFFERING!

4. THE “FAMILIAR STRANGE”
CHALLENGE!!!
DIRECTIONS:
1. SELECT A CULTURAL FEATURE OF THE AMERICANS THAT WE
WOULD EASILY RECOGNIZE AS FAMILIAR/NORMAL.
2. FIND AN INTERESTING IMAGE ONLINE WHICH ILLUSTRATES
THAT CULTURAL FEATURE.
3. COMPOSE A SHORT, ETHNOGRAPHIC DESCRIPTION WHICH
OBJECTIVELY CAPTURES THE CULTURAL FEATURE (“MAKES THE
FAMILIAR STRANGE”).
4. UPLOAD THE IMAGE TO A GROUP MEMBER’S FOTOBABBLE.COM
ACCOUNT AND NARRATE THE DESCRIPTION.
5. SHARE YOUR FOTOBABBLE WITH
LORETMICHAEL@GMAIL.COM
6. IF YOU OBJECTIVELY ANALYZE THE CULTURAL TRAIT SO
EFFECTIVELY THAT YOU STUMP THE CLASS, YOU WILL EARN 3
EXTRA CREDIT POINTS TOWARD YOUR QUIZ AVERAGE!

6. OPEN YOUR SPIRAL, AND
DESCRIBE IN CULTURAL TERMS
WHAT IT MEANS “TO MAKE THE
FAMILIAR STRANGE IN ORDER TO
MAKE THE STRANGE FAMILIAR”

7. OPEN YOUR SPIRAL, AND
DESCRIBE IN CULTURAL TERMS
WHAT IT MEANS “TO MAKE THE
FAMILIAR STRANGE IN ORDER TO
MAKE THE STRANGE FAMILIAR”
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT???

8. WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT???

10. WHAT DO
ARTIFACTS TELL IS
ABOUT A CULTURE?

11. MAKING THE “FAMILIAR STRANGE”
CHALLENGE!!!
DIRECTIONS:
1. CHOOSE A CULTURAL FEATURE OF THE AMERICANS OR SELECT ONE OF THE OPTIONS BELOW.
2. FIND AN INTERESTING IMAGE ONLINE WHICH ILLUSTRATES YOUR CULTURAL FEATURE
3. COMPOSE A PARAGRAPH WHICH OBJECTIVELY DESCRIBES THE CULTURAL FEATURE (MAKES THE FAMILIAR
STRANGE
4. UPLOAD THE IMAGE TO ONE FOTOBABBLE.COM ACCOUNT AND NARRATE THE DESCRIPTION.
5. SHARE YOUR FOTOBABBLE WITH LORETMICHAEL@GMAIL.COM
6. IF YOU ARE ABLE TO OBJECTIVELY ANALYZE THE CULTURAL TRAIT SO EFFECTIVELY THAT YOU STUMP THE
CLASS, YOU WILL EARN 3 POINTS EXTRA CREDIT TOWARD YOUR QUIZ AVERAGE!
-A FAMILY/GROUP WATCHING TV
-A FOOTBALL GAME
-THE WEARING OF MAKE-UP BY FEMALES
-GOING FOR A DOCTOR’S VISIT
-WALMART