Transcript Seminar on Course Papers

Seminar on Course Papers
Requirements,
Learning Outcomes,
Recommendations,
Suggestions,
and a Few Notes on the
Analytical Writing Process
Seminar on Course Papers
1. What makes a paper
anthropological?
2. Formal demands
3. CAC learning outcomes
4. Your feedback
5. Articulating your
interest(s)
6. Writing an academic
course paper
7. A few suggestions
1. Introduction
What makes a paper/argument
anthropology/anthropological?
What makes an argument
anthropological?
•
•
•
•
Actors
Delimited field of inquiry
Contextualisation
Oriented towards the
present
• Understand, not explain or
predict
”Anthropology has never had a
distinct subject matter, and
because it doesn't have a real
method, there's a great deal of
anxiety over what it is”
Clifford Geertz
”Anthropology is philosophy with
people in”
Tim Ingold
”Anthropology has humanity as its
object of research, but unlike
other human sciences, it tries to
grasp its object through its most
diverse manifestations”
Claude Lévi-Strauss
Literature, books
• Small Places, Large Issues
– Thomas Hylland Eriksen
(2001)[1995]
• The World of the Anthropologist
– Augé & Colleyn (2006)
• Anthropological Locations
– Gupta & Ferguson (1997)
Literature, articles
• ”Theory in Anthropology
since the Sixties”
– Sherry B. Ortner (1984)
• ”Being there... and there...
and there!”
– Ulf Hannerz (2003)
2. Formal Demands
Legal Requirements
Regarding University Courses
at the Basic (Undergraduate)
Level
University Regulations (1992:1434)
Basic level education should
develop the student’s
• ability to carry out
independent and critical
assessments,
• ability to independently
delimit, articulate and
solve problems, and
• readyness to face
transformations in the
labour market
University Regulations (1992:1434)
Within the given field of study, the
student should ... develop the
ability to
• find and assess knowledge at a
scientific (academic) level,
• follow the development within
the given field of knowledge,
and
• exchange knowledge even
with persons without specialised
knowledge within the field
3. Culture in Armed Conflicts
Learning Outcomes
Learning Outcomes
• Possess basic knowledge of
anthropological perspectives on the
study of armed conflict, which is
pertinent in humanitarian aid,
journalism, and conflict resolution;
• Have a broadened understanding of
the socio-cultural processes that
characterise, precede and succeed
an armed conflict
• Relate local phenomena, such as
changing gender roles, children and
youth in war, and refugees, to global
phenomena, such as media
coverage, international aid politics,
and arms trade;
• Possess an in-depth understanding of
a number of contemporary armed
conflicts
Learning Outcomes (à la Jesper)
1. Possess an in-depth
knowledge of the four
case studies, represented
in the course literature
and lectures
Learning Outcomes (à la Jesper)
2. Have a broadened
understanding of the
socio-cultural processes
that characterise,
precede, and succeed
an armed conflict
Learning Outcomes (à la Jesper)
3. Be able to differentiate
between different
anthropological
perspectives on the study
of armed conflict, which
are pertinent in
humanitarian aid,
journalism, and conflict
resolution
Learning Outcomes (à la Jesper)
4. Demonstrate the ability to
discuss one of the four
case studies, applying an
anthropological
analytical perspective
Learning Outcomes (à la Jesper)
5. Relate local phenomena,
such as changing gender
roles, children and youth
in war, and refugees, to
global phenomena, such
as media coverage,
international aid politics,
and arms trade
Learning Outcomes (à la Jesper)
6. Articulate a problem
statement that is
anthropologically
relevant, and explore the
question using an
anthropological
analytical perspective in
a written analysis (course
paper)
Examination
The course grade is based on
active participation and the
writing of a paper (10 pages),
exploring one or more of the
themes of the course
Active participation in the course
includes the writing of a brief
reflection paper (1-2 pages) on
each of the four main case
studies of the course
The grades are pass with
distinction (VG), pass (G), fail
(U)
4. Your feedback
”What has been the BEST
thing and the WORST thing
about the course so far?”
Best things
• great case studies
• good literature
• teachers specialized in what
they taught
• opening up new perspectives
• freedom to think outside the
square
• the “newness”, “recentness” of
the conflict anthropology
approach and our case studies
• emphasis on ethnographic
approach to conflict
Worst things
• no (personal) comments to the
papers which were handed in
• too big topic in few hours
• Lectures are too short […] to
really grasp the theme
• discussing the theories more
would give me a better
understanding of the case
studies
• course could use more
structure, i.e. concept overview
or introduction
Worst things (cont’d)
• what I would have liked was a
stronger emphasis on
discussions of
concepts/theories (for
undergraduates)
• no where near enough time for
group discussion on the often
complex issues
• There should be structured
seminars for this course, so we
can have a lot of time to
discuss issues and explore ideas
• The wrap up. Better wrap up at
the end (even if we are running
out of time ) because it seems
to be “in suspension”
And then the Logistics…
•
•
•
•
Time of the class
Size of the room
Limited use of Power Point
Lack of instructions
(reflection papers and
course essays)
Jan’s response
Get a copy after class
5. Articulating your interest(s)
Exploring the themes and
cases of the course so far
Exercise
”In a nutshell, I want to
write about…”
[Listener writes down 2-5
keywords]
Empirical Examples
Brainstorming the course
contents
Thematical perspectives
In the lectures and the
course literature
Paper Ideas
versus
Themes and Cases
in the course
(literature)
6. Writing an Academic Course
Paper
The Analytical Cycle
The Analytical Cycle
Thematical
perspective
Theoretical
approach
Empirical case
The Analytical Cycle, applied to
writing a course paper
Analysis
Introduction
Empirical case
Structuring your argument
1. Title
2.
3.
4.
5.
Introduction
Empirical case
Analysis
Conclusion
Introduction
1. Theoretical
reflections
2. Analytical
perspective
3. Problem statement
Empirical case
1. Based on course
literature
2. Discussion
– open-ended
Analysis
1. Applying the
analytical
perspective to the
case
2. ”Speculative”;
pointing to
important questions
Conclusion
1. Summarize
2. Refer back to
introduction
Remember the law:
Be ”independent and
critical”!
7. A few suggestions
• A good title is a good
starting point
• Revisit problem statement
if the analysis takes you in
a different direction
• See this as an exercise in
the craft of writing
• etc…
Discussion