Monthly Archives: December 2011

12/5/11

About Attawapiskat

In my last lecture this fall in ANTH 100 (2011) I briefly mentioned the situation in Attawapiskat and the relationship of that situation to structural racism in Canada, the ways in which blame and responsibility get reversed, and then transform the oppressed party into the offender.  It is a problem too common among mainstream media and center-right commentators on aboriginal affairs. It is also, at times, a theme picked up by academics (see my comments here on an anthropological variant). At any rate, here are two thoughtful blog comments on this subject – one that looks at the commentary about (mis)management and the other from a teacher in schools concerned with aboriginal education.

These two thoughtful commentaries  provide further context to the issues that are all too common in what amounts to Canada’s own internal colonies.

12/3/11

ANTH 100-2011: Final Exam Essay Questions

The final exam will be scored out of 80 marks (worth 40% of your final grade).  Part 1 of the exam is 60 points (questions will be handed out on exam day).  Part 2 is 20 points with each essay question worth 10 points.

Three of the following five questions will be included on the final exam.  On exam day you will have a choice to answer two of the three essay questions.

Long list of essay questions.

  1. Compare and contrast the variation of gender in human societies.
  2. Discuss how the four original sub-disciplines of anthropology (socio-cultural, linguistic, archaeological, and biological) contribute to an understanding of humanity.
  3. Lee, Marcus, and Menzies each describe their research methods and experiences in their respective ethnographies.  Drawing from their ethnographies, describe the research method(s) of socio-cultural anthropology.
  4. Discuss how drastic social change can lead people to create new worldviews to help make sense of their changed world.  Your answer should use one or more examples from course lectures and/or readings.
  5. Discus the role of anthropologists in the “Human Terrain System.”  In your answer consider the following: what is the place of anthropology in military settings, and; what role does racism and/or cultural imperialism have in shaping the problems that these anthropologists are engaged to resolve?